Running to the Light
by itsmereading
Summary: Bella Swan must flee her current life. She has been held a prisoner for fifteen years, unknowingly, groomed to fulfill an integral part of a radical sect's plan of salvation. Finally, she breaks free, only to run into the arms of the town's bad boy. Edward Cullen has been successful in business and protecting his heart from pain. Will Bella break down Edward's walls? AH/E&B
1. Chapter 1

Run. Keep running. Keep running. That's what she keeps repeating to herself. Don't stop, don't turn around, just run. Run through the pain. Run through the memories. Everything she sees is new to her, but she can't stop to look. She must get out of here. She can't go back. She needs to be free. Her lungs hurt, she just can't get a deep enough breath. Her bare feet are bleeding due to the rocks and twigs her feet are running over. Her legs and arms are getting scratched and her shabby clothes are torn. Her face is repeatedly slapped by branches and bushes, but she couldn't care less. She just has to keep running. Keep running.

She's cold, but the sunshine is warming her up slowly. It is so bright that her eyes hurt, but she loves it. It has been so long since she has been outside. She had forgotten what the sun felt like on her skin. She had forgotten what clean air smelled like and how green the leaves on the trees were. She hears twigs snapping beneath her feet, of which the sound frightens her. She remembers some of the other sounds now, she thinks one is of birds chirping. Any other time she would enjoy the sound, but right now she is unable to focus on it. She must get away from here. She doesn't even know where "here" is. She has been hidden from the world for years. So many years in fact, that she has lost count. She doesn't even know how old she is anymore. Knowledge of the date, year, or time is a luxury she hasn't been afforded in quite some time.

The last time she was in the sunlight was when she was on a road trip with her mom. She was five or six at the time. They were traveling to visit her father, who was out of town on business. She thinks it was springtime. Spring makes sense to her. Bluebonnets were in bloom along the road as they drove past them. They were driving from their home in Texas to Oklahoma. Lawton, Oklahoma to be exact. She doesn't know why that detail has remained with her all this time. She cannot remember the name of her hometown, but she remembers Lawton, Oklahoma. The mind works in mysterious ways. She knows that at the time her hair was dark brown. Not black, like everyone would tell her, but dark brown. For some reason, it was very important to her that people knew it was dark brown. It's funny that she thought that was important. In hindsight, she laughs at what she thought was a problem back then. She doesn't know what her hair looks like anymore. She can only see the dark, unkempt ends that hang down to her waist. Her eyes at some point were her distinguishing feature. They were complimented on by many. Large, dark brown set against flawless olive skin. She knows she inherited her father's skin tone, but cannot remember him. She forgot the sound of his voice and his mannerisms. The reminiscences of her mom are fading with time. She has sparks of memories every now and then, but she can't determine if they are real or her imagination. Her own voice startles herself at times, she uses it so rarely. She has no one to talk with and is commanded to only speak when spoken to.

She has been in a poorly lit room with no mirrors or noise for what seems like an eternity. He said that the light was evil. He said that mirrors were the bearers of darkness. He believed everything in the world was a sin. He told her that knowledge would lead to destruction, so she was only allowed a handful of books of which he approved. The fantasy and fairy tale books she was given were missing the last chapter, leaving any positive outcome, any hope for happiness ripped away. She was only allowed a Bible and an old set of encyclopedias to study. He believed that a woman should depend solely upon a man. She was always being watched by him. Her every movement being tracked continuously. He knew when she ate, slept, and used the bathroom. He knew what the page number was of the book she was reading at any given time. He had kept her away from the world all this time. He kept her all for himself, to serve him when she was of an appropriate age. He thought she was weak and feeble. He thought he could control her forever. He was wrong.

* * *

"Edward, hold up man," a voice calls out. A tall, dark-haired man pauses for a moment from unlocking the door to a tattoo parlor. The man glances up to see a ridiculously lanky, red-head jogging toward him.

"Emmett McCarty, what now?" the man says to the red-head, exasperatedly.

"Where were you last night? That party was legit! Fine women everywhere with no morals, it was great!" Emmett says excitedly.

"You know that's not my thing anymore. Besides, I have an intricate one to do today on a regular. I have to ask though, did these women mind your penchant for having no filter?" Edward asks jokingly.

"Edward, you act like an old man. Man, when are you going to realize that you are only in your twenties? And for your information, yes, they did mind. Happy now?"

"Emmett, you have got to get control over your mouth, cuz. Your non-existent filter is a blessing and a curse for you. Since you are incapable of controlling your mouth, you have been unable to hold down any stable jobs. I'm your last resort, but if you have a positive outlook, you can have a new beginning. You are the apprentice of a legendary tattoo artist, and lucky for you, a guy with no filter is not the end of a career in the tattoo business," Edward tells him laughing.

"Wow! I'm glad you're not full of yourself. It would make it super awkward when I tell you to kiss my rear." Emmett answers him.

"Watch it, Emmett. When are you going to realize that I own my own successful business? I have bills, a mortgage, and employees to pay, like you for instance. If I show up trashed, my reputation is shot. No one comes here for an ugly stick figure tattooed on their back. They come here for the best of the best. A chance for my work and their vision to be admired by others for a long time. So, speaking of work, are you good today?" Edward asks.

"Yeah man, I was low key," Emmett replies.

"Good, I would hate to fire you," Edward smirks. Emmett knows it would take a lot to get fired, but since he is out of options he has enough sense not to rock the boat.

Edward and Emmett go about getting the parlor ready for the day. They turn their heads when they hear the bell go off, signaling someone has walked in.

"What up, Blackout Ink? Ready for a record-breaking day?" a young, enthusiastic girl asks.

"Hey Rosalie, get your sexy self to your desk and start doing your job!" Emmett yells at her.

"If I wanted to be hit on by a red-head, I would work for Elmo instead," the petite blonde replies.

"Come on Rosalie, you know I can't control myself when you bat those emerald green eyes my way," Emmett laughs.

"Now, why would I waste my time doing that? You know it will never happen between us. Keep on dreaming Red," she sighs at him. Rosalie walks to the reception desk as the phone rings. She takes a seat and answers the phone while another person walks in.

"Good morning Jamestiful," James Hunter says as he winks at Rosalie. He walks over to his booth and begins getting his materials gathered.

"James, you ready for today?" Edward asks.

"Yeah, boss. Hey, I need to take off sometime soon to go home for a few days. That cool?"

"Should be. Denver, right?" Edward says.

"Yeah, it's been two years since I've been home. I have to scope out the new beauties in the area," James answers while wagging his eyebrows. He is a notorious womanizer. He takes pride in shamelessly flirting with any woman, regardless of age or looks to capitalize off them. While James is gloating, Rosalie is staring at him with forlorn adoration. Rosalie Hale has been pining for James for the two years he has been employed with Edward. She has told the other staff on more than one occasion that his beach blonde hair and piercing blue eyes are what gets her out of bed every morning. James does look more like a surfer than a tattoo artist. Rosalie, day in and day out, frantically vies for his attention.

The bell chimes again as a rough woman with jet black hair, various piercings, and a bold fashion sense walks in.

"Hey Angela, how are you today?" Emmett asks her while saying each word slowly.

"Better than you, idiot," she retorts. Angela stands out for her impressive height and for the large, colorful tattoos that cover her body. She does fit the stereotypical look of a tattoo artist. She walks over to Rosalie at the receptionist desk.

"Hey Chica, when's my first appointment today?"

"Hi, it's at 10:30. Did you see James yet? He looks delicious," Rosalie tells her while licking her lips.

"Rosalie, when are you going to stop wasting away over him? He is a piece of crap, who treats women like they are objects. You're no angel, but come on! You try too hard to entice him. I love you, but you don't have the money to get his attention. You know that pretty much all the guys that come through here want you," Angela says truthfully.

"I know you're right, but I can't help who I like," she replies with a sheepish grin.

Angela rolls her eyes and tells her hopeless friend, "Ugh, whatever. Maybe one day you will have a change of heart."

The door rings again as the last employee of Blackout Ink slowly shuffles in.

"How's it going, Garrett?" Emmett yells at the man with light brown hair and a long-braided goatee.

"Shut it," the Irishman says as he walks off while still muttering to himself under his breath. Emmett chuckles, pleased with himself that he has already managed to irritate the lazy drunk.

Edward watches this exchange with a perturbed scowl. He calls out, "Garrett O'Neill, you good today?"

Garrett turns and gives him a fake toothy smile and a thumbs up. "Yeah boss, I'm just peachy," he answers with faux enthusiasm.

Edward then turns his attention to Rosalie. "When is my first one today?"

"Bobby is coming at ten for his sleeve," she answers. "Plus, looks like you are pretty full after that with little sorority girls til close," Rosalie giggles.

"Are you kidding me? Can you start booking those under Emmett? He can handle all the little hearts, butterflies and infinity signs. Hell, he can even handle the flavor of the month name tattoos. You know I hate those. They are a waste of my potential," Edward continues moaning.

"Well, if you weren't so tall, dark and handsome maybe you wouldn't be so popular. Your looks are what pays the bills. All these girls want a tattoo by the infamously good-looking Edward Cullen. They could care less that you are legendary. They want to try to capture the elusive unattainable bachelor of Lawton. They want the bragging rights and you get the money," she says while shrugging her shoulders.

Edward eyes her with a look of disdain. "What the hell are you talking about? Unattainable bachelor? Really, is that how I'm known around here?" he asks as he looks around. Everyone nods in agreement at him.

"Whatever, just book those under Emmett, and I will come in occasionally and check the work. Can you handle that Red?" Edward asks as he glances at Emmett. Emmett gives him a nod and goofy smile. Edward walks to his office in the back of the parlor and closes the door.

"So, are the girls really just coming here to try to land Edward?" Emmett asks Rosalie as he walks over to her desk.

"Well, we are busy because of that, but also since he trained under that guy in Vegas. I would tell him that, but he is already getting too cocky. He needs to be brought back down," she says smiling.

Emmett laughs, "Oh man. Don't tell him what you just told me! He will crap his pants! He is probably cursing to himself in there about his talent being wasted, blah blah."

"Yeah, I figured. He is just getting to be too much to deal with now. He is too arrogant. He needs a woman that will whip him into shape. He's been on his own for too long," Angela adds walking over to join the conversation.

Rosalie laughs, "Edward Cullen needs a woman? That's rich! He is always going on about how he doesn't do relationships. That his first and only love is this parlor. He's his own person, and he makes his own rules."

The three of them laugh as they recall Edward telling the parlor this frequently. James and Garrett stroll over to see what the commotion is about.

"What are you guys laughing about?" James asks.

"We are just talking about how Edward needs a woman to help get his ego under control. But, he is always telling us that he doesn't want to be tied down, or that having a relationship wouldn't bring him any satisfaction," Rosalie responds.

The laughter starts again. Soon they are placing bets as to how long it will be before Edward is tied down. The wagers placed range from within the month through five years from now. The pot grows throughout the day with contributions from clients and staff.

"Yo, we gotta keep this pot on the down low. Edward will flip if he finds out," Emmett truthfully says. The other staff nods their heads in agreement. "How much is it worth now anyway?" he asks.

"Let's see, it's past eight hundred dollars. That's a pretty good payout. Sorry, you're going to lose suckers," Angela smirks.

"What date did you put down, Angela?" Rosalie questions.

"I said within the month. He is due for some love to whoop him into shape!" she giggles.

* * *

Edward sits on a plush, brown leather office chair at his desk. The door to his office is closed to block out the annoying laughter from his staff. He doesn't even bother to wonder what could be so funny to them. He is more concerned with tomorrow. It is his first scheduled day off since he opened his parlor. Tomorrow he has plans to spend the anniversary of his parent's death at the lake alone with his thoughts. The lake was their place to go as a family. It was their private getaway. He hasn't been back since they have been gone.

A knock on the door interrupts his thoughts. "Edward, Bobby is here," Rosalie calls through the door. Edward mutters acknowledging her and stands to leave his sanctuary.

All day long he and the others are busy laboring over numerous tattoos and piercings. Edward is also inspecting Emmett's solo work. He notes that Emmett is getting better, but refuses to tell him that. Edward doesn't want to add to his arrogance. He nods his head in approval at Emmett and tells him that he still needs to work on his motor control as well as attention span. Emmett smirks and continues tattooing a delicate rose on the hip of a middle-aged blonde.

Edward goes through the motions all day long. He endures countless women throwing themselves at him and guys trying to prove just how tough they are. When he finally looks at the clock, he realizes it is closing time. He looks around the parlor, noticing that he is alone. Edward walks around the parlor to make sure everything is in order for his absence tomorrow. He slowly turns out all the lights and flips the business sign in the window to closed. He steps outside to lock up when he is met with a cool, welcoming breeze. Edward smiles to himself while turning to walk up the stairs to the modest apartment he lives in above the parlor. As he takes his first step up the flight of stairs the air is pierced with a loud, horrifying scream which sounds like that of a girl.


	2. Chapter 2

**All characters are owned by S. Meyer, I own the idea of the story.**

 **Reviews make me happy! Please leave one for me!**

 **Happy Reading!**

She doesn't know how long she has been running, to her, it feels like an eternity. The warm sun has set, now moonlight is shining down. Cars drive past her honking their horns, but she doesn't stop. She doesn't even glance in the direction of the sound. She can make out lights ahead of her. She starts to slow down to a walk, finally able to observe everything around her. There are many abandoned buildings and vacant lots of land. She can see a strip of lights farther up the street that she's walking on. She cautiously treads to the first building with lights on. Abruptly, somebody seizes her arm causing her to yell out. She robotically cowers down to the ground, continuing to scream with her eyes shut tight and her arms shielding her head. She thinks he has found her. How could he find her? She left long ago, how could he catch up to her? How would he know where to look when she didn't even know where she was?

She hears a man's strong voice cry out, "Hey, let her go!"

The person who has grabbed her hesitates before letting go of her. It was not him after all. She quickly looks up at the stranger. He tries to explain to the other man that he thought she was someone else, then runs. She is so relieved that she is still free that she begins to sob. The man who has saved her comes quickly to where she is. "Where are you hurt?" he asks, his voice full of concern. She can't respond, she is afraid of him. She is literally terrified of every person. She strains to move away from him but is blocked due to the building that she is trapped against. The only person she has had any interaction with is her capturer, and that has been for an unknown amount of time. He had told her that all people were wicked and out to hurt her. He said trust no one apart from him. She can hear him in her head, telling her to run from this man. This man, he would say, is sinful.

"Here, come with me. I own the parlor right over there," he says as he points to the building beside them. "Let's get you cleaned up."

She is unable to answer due to sobbing violently from fatigue, fear, and even happiness. Happiness from finally being free of him.

She can sense being picked up and carried. She knows she ought to be afraid, but she is not. This unknown man is gentle. She doesn't even know what he looks like, she is unable to see him through her tears. His voice is calming, not like anything she is used to. His serenity reminds the girl of her mom, which causes her to cry even harder.

She can hear something creating a rattle-like sound, then a door opens. The man is still cradling her in his arms as he flips a switch on the wall and lights turn on. She conceals her face into his chest, clutching his soft shirt. She is not at all accustomed to the intense lights overhead. She has been used to one candle which had to last for seven days.

The girl can smell some form of a disinfectant in the room that he brings her to. It isn't like the pungent solution that he made her clean with. Instead, it is much more agreeable. She still refuses to open her eyes as her tears continue to fall. The man carefully places her on a cushioned chair. He says to her that he will be right back, that he is going to get a cloth and bandage. Her mind is spinning out of control. She feels the need to jump out of the chair and run out the door away from this man. Her form is quivering so much that she is concerned that she will fall. She tries to open her eyes, but her body is fighting it. Exhaustion and anxiousness are overwhelming her system. Her brain is yelling at her to run, keep running. That he will find her soon, she needs to get further away. She can't move though, no matter how hard she tries. That is the last thing that she recalls before sleep overtakes her.

* * *

Edward hurries back to the room where he had left the girl with a first aid kit in his hand. He enters the room and discovers that she has fallen asleep. He gently attempts to wake her to no avail. He thinks to himself, great, what am I supposed to do with her? He doesn't even know her name or where she lives. He wonders if she is even of legal age.

Edward steps back and takes a good look at this girl's appearance. She looks to be almost wild. Lengthy, matted, chocolate brown hair sheets her small frame. She has an olive complexion that is pale and dull. The girl has an emaciated body and is literally skin and bones. He takes in the various slashes and contusions on her arms and legs. He notices that her feet are bare and cut up as well. Edward sweeps her hair away from her face tucking it behind her ear cautiously. He sees that her face exhibits such innocence. She could be no more than seventeen or eighteen. He never had an opportunity to look at her eyes because of the tears. Edward thinks to himself that she might have a nice-looking face if she was cleaned up. He takes note of her clothing. The girl is dressed in a very soiled and thin t-shirt and a pair of shorts. The clothes appear to be quite undersized for her as if she has literally outgrown them and never bought anything that truly fits her frame.

He doesn't want her to remain asleep in his parlor, therefore he contritely carries her upstairs to his apartment after he locks up yet again. Once they enter his living room, he warily lays her on his very old, worn maroon couch. He carefully places a blanket over her, and then takes a seat in the recliner adjacent to her. Edward watches her breathe in and out restlessly. She is not a sound sleeper. The girl thrashes about and whimpers frequently. He wonders what has happened to make her behave this way. He imagines what she has been through. Edward is resolved that he will try to convince her to tell him what is going on when she wakes up. He suddenly realizes that this is the first girl that he has ever had sleep in his apartment. Edward prides himself on the fact that he doesn't partake in the whole sleepover thing. He has been living his life per his own mantra of love 'em and leave 'em. He begins to wonder if he is going soft. He shakes his head at this thought. He is Edward Cullen, the bad boy with tattoos and piercings, he thinks to himself. He scowls at his actions of the night so far. He has been reduced to helping this filthy, lacerated girl who is now sleeping on his couch. He worries that his reputation will be replaced with that of being a gentle giant. Edward decides to quit thinking about this unpleasant topic any further.

He stays in the uncomfortable chair for the remainder of her sleep to make sure she doesn't try to lift anything from his place. He doesn't have anything of real value, but everything is his and he wants it to stay that way. A few hours later Edward is startled awake by a blood-curdling scream. He jumps up, not realizing that he had fallen asleep and looks around the room. The girl is not on the couch anymore but is lying in the corner in a fetal position. He carefully walks over to her. The young girl is trembling while softly whimpering.

"Hey babe, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm Edward, I own the tattoo parlor downstairs. We met earlier on the street. You fell asleep when I went to get you a bandage. I couldn't wake you up, so I brought you up here to my apartment and laid you on my couch. You have been asleep for about, oh four hours or so. What is your name sweetheart?" he soothingly questions.

The girl turns her head and peers up at him. He automatically thinks that she has the most beautiful, dark brown eyes he has ever seen. His breath hitches in his throat. He mentally does a face slap and cringes at his thoughts. He snaps at himself to pull it together.

Edward gently asks the girl if she can speak. She shakes her head yes but doesn't open her mouth.

"What is your name, babe?" Edward is now resorting to using pet names in hopes of getting her to relax. He has learned that his female clientele loves when he speaks to them like that. The pet names make them feel unique.

The girl whispers, "Bella."

Edward smiles down at her, "Well, Bella, nice to meet you. Where do you live? I can take you home."

Bella starts crying all over again and begins to hyperventilate. He attempts to calm her, but ultimately, she loses consciousness. Edward gently picks her up once more and situates her back on the couch. He concludes that it will be a long night.


	3. Chapter 3

**S. Meyer owns the characters, I'm just having fun with them.**

 **Reviews make me happy! Please leave me one!**

Bella wakes with a start. She immediately wonders where she is. Her eyes gaze about the sunlit room. The walls are gray, not a gloomy gray, but more of a calming gray. She looks down to see that she is laying on a dark, maroon couch that has some tears on it. There is a soft, blue blanket covering her. Lining the walls of the room are stacks of books and small plastic cases. There is a large television on one of the walls and several other devices under it. She doesn't know what those are but knows that she has seen them before. A guitar is resting against the side of the couch also. The floor is covered with dark green carpet that she reasons would feel good beneath her bare feet.

She glances to her left and views the man that helped her last night sleeping in a light green chair. Bella gazes at him. He appears to be tall, his long legs are stretched out in front of him. He has dark hair that is kind of shaggy, and a short beard. The man has a black metal stud sticking out of his lower lip and a silver stud in his left ear. His arms and neck have different, distinctive designs covering them. Bella can't help but notice that he has a kind, peaceful face. The man is clothed in a black shirt, a pair of blue jeans and white socks.

She looks down at her own clothes. She sighs, registering how filthy she is. Her skin and clothing are so grimy and stained. There is dried blood and welts covering her arms and legs. Bella glances down at her feet, which are throbbing. They have so many wounds on them from running that she dares not even try to count them. There is a large amount of blood on her. She makes a futile attempt to run her fingers through her hair but fails. Her face must also be a mess. She remembers being slapped repeatedly by branches while running from that place.

Bella thinks to herself that he would never approve of her like this. She would most definitely be punished. She knows that she would be scourged in a boiling tub of water. Then he would use a brillo brush with some foul-smelling soap and wash her until he deemed her to be unsoiled. He detested filth of any kind. She had learned this the hard way. Bella was expected to keep her dark dungeon spotless, which was hard. She had never had to clean by herself since she had her mom with her. Her mom would talk to her and try to teach her with what materials they had in the dark room. They would sing songs and reminisce about her dad and their house before he had taken them.

Bella was about eleven or twelve when he took her mom away from her. He said she was filling Bella's head with nonsense, and that she was bad for her. She cried for her mom endlessly for days. Now, all that is left of her for Bella are faded memories and a blurry image of her face. On occasion, she will have a flash of a clear recollection of her, although she has trouble distinguishing if they are genuine or not.

Bella knows that she must stay strong. She needs to keep moving. The farther that she can get away from him, the better she will be. Bella rolls herself gradually and silently off the couch and heads toward the door so that she won't wake the man. She takes a step and trips over a boot, causing her to fall. The man wakes with a start and looks at her. Bella can't look away from him, and he can't look away from her.

He slowly rises out of the chair and walks to where she is sitting on the floor and crouches down.

"Are you hurt sweetheart?" he asks.

"Not from the fall," Bella whispers.

"Will you follow me to the bathroom to get your cuts bandaged? I won't hurt you, I promise," he says sympathetically.

She shakes her head yes, limping as she follows him down the hall.

* * *

Edward thinks to himself that Bella must trust him enough to follow him. They walk down his short hallway to the bathroom. He quickly kicks some of his clothes off to the side on the floor.

"Sorry about the mess, I wasn't expecting company," he tells her awkwardly.

Bella nods her head and continues to look down. Edward senses that she must be too frightened to even look at him.

Edward motions toward the commode," Have a seat here and I'll get the first aid kit."

Bella sits down obediently as he grabs the kit from the cabinet under the sink. He turns the water on, wets a washcloth, and begins to gently remove the dried blood from her skin. She winces when he touches her, causing him to automatically apologize. Bella nods her head again and lets him continue.

"Babe, where do you live? Is there someone you want me to call for you?" Edward asks.

Bella shakes her head no to his question. This confuses Edward.

"No to someone to call or no to where you live?" he questions again to clarify.

"I don't have anyone to call and I don't live anywhere anymore," she answers so quietly that he has to strain to hear her.

"Do you stay at a shelter?"

Bella begins to cry again. Edward feels guilty that he is to blame for this emotional outburst. He can't put into words how he feels watching her cry, but he knows it pains him.

"Hey now, I just want you to be able to be safe. It looks like you were running from something or someone, am I right?" Bella nods her head tentatively at him, signaling that he is correct.

"Do you want to talk about it? Do we need to call the cops? Who do I need to go beat up?" Edward asks her while smiling, trying to lighten the situation.

She answers quietly while still gazing at the floor, "Can we not talk about this? I don't feel like talking. I'm sorry."

"Sure sweetheart. Well, do you want to get cleaned up? You know, take a shower or something. You can borrow some of my clothes, but I think everything I have will be much too big for you."

"Yes, thank you," she answers gratefully.

"I'm just going to go across the hall and grab the clothes. While you are in here I can fix you something to eat. Would you like that?"

"Yes," she replies simply.

Edward ponders that he has been reduced to some sniveling idiot in his own home. He feels that there is just something about this girl, that he needs to protect her. She is innocent, so much in fact, that he believes he needs to keep her that way. He abruptly hopes that no one finds out about this. He can just hear them now; Edward Cullen has a girl staying over and wearing his clothes. He grimaces to himself. He can already see his image crumbling away at this very second.

Edward enters his bedroom and begins to rummage through his drawers. The only thing he can find clean is his favorite shirt, just his luck he smirks. He reluctantly grabs his Led Zeppelin shirt that has faded from black to gray in color. He thinks to himself that Bella better not mistreat his shirt, or he will have no other option but to kick her out, sans shirt. He moves on to the next drawer and finds some sweatpants that he has had since high school. They are small but will most likely still swallow her. Edward brings the shirt and pants to her in the bathroom and shows her how to turn the shower on. He takes a clean towel out of the closet and finds a spare toothbrush for her to use.

"Just holler at me if you need anything. I will be down the hall in the kitchen," he tells her. Bella nods her head at him and closes the door. Edward hears the lock engage then the water running through the creaking pipes. He stands outside the door for a moment before turning to walk in the direction of the kitchen. He wonders aloud if he has anything fit for human consumption.


	4. Chapter 4

**S. Meyer owns the characters, I'm just borrowing...**

 **Please leave a review to let me know how you like the story!**

Bella cautiously closes and locks the door when the man leaves. She can't remember his name. She begins to wonder how she is supposed to take a shower in a stranger's bathroom when she can't recall his name. How did she get into this predicament? This is still by far better than being back with him, she resigns.

She removes her clothes hastily and throws them in the trash can. She never wants to see them again. She has had to wear the same shirt and shorts day in and day out for most likely years. She had outgrown them so long ago, but he thought they were still fine for her to be dressed in.

Bella walks to the shower and turns the water dial to just warm. She refuses to bathe in scalding water. She delights in how liberating it feels to get to choose the water temperature of her shower.

While the water heats up she looks around his bathroom. It is pretty clean, apart from the clothes on the floor. She spies a hamper in the corner, so she puts his clothes in it. It's the least she can do since he is being kind to her. She reaches to feel the towel he has given her to use. It is a fluffy, soft towel. It may have been red once, but now it is a faded pink. Bella thinks that it's just right. She only had one old abrasive towel when she was in the dungeon, as she calls it.

She hesitantly reaches into the shower to test the water. She is surprised at how pleasant it feels. She warily steps in and lets the water fall over her body. She finds his soap, which smells good. It is nothing like what he made her use. She works the soap into a rich lather and gently washes the grime from herself. She starts thinking about everything that has happened to her. She then begins to vigorously scrub her battered body, trying to rid herself of her past life in the gloomy bunker with him. Soon, she realizes that she is crying once more. These tears are more purifying than anything else. They make her feel well again. She turns around to begin scrubbing her hair. The water that is going down the drain is brown from dirt that once covered her. She stays beneath the shower head until the water runs clear and she has washed her body and hair several times, too many to count. Bella then slides down the shower wall and sits on the floor while still letting the water pour over her. When her tears finally stop, she begins to calm down.

She hears a rap on the door that startles her.

"Everything okay in there? Do you need anything?" the man calls to her from the other side of the door.

"I'm fine, I will be out soon," she answers back.

She stands and turns the water off. She steps out of the shower, picks the pink towel up and wraps it around herself. She can't remember the last time she was fortunate enough to use something soft. She gently dries her body off and inspects her numerous wounds. They are not as bad as she had thought and should heal quickly. She puts on the clothes that the man has lent her. The shirt is oversized, but she is grateful for it regardless. It is supple and comforting to her. The pants are large, but after rolling the waistband she can make them stay on without falling.

Bella then towel dries her hair and guardedly uses her hand to wipe away the condensation on the mirror. It is the first time she has been able to look at herself since he took them. He thought mirrors were only for the vain, therefore he made sure they didn't have one. She gasps at her reflection. She can't believe the image facing her. Her hair is long, very long and dark brown. Her cheeks are hollow and flushed. There are dark, purple bags under her large, brown eyes. Her complexion is still somewhat olive, although she is pale from lack of sunlight. She has really matured, she thinks to herself. She doesn't look too much younger than the man that lives here. Her body is that of a woman's now, no longer a little girl. Despite being painfully thin, she does have some curves. Bella contemplates just how long she has been locked away.

She eventually moves on and finds the toothpaste and brushes her teeth. Bella now feels so much better, like a brand-new person. She is no longer a prisoner. She is free of him. She is free to make her own decisions and go where she pleases. She is finally free.

* * *

Edward notices the bathroom door opening and glances down the hall. He watches Bella step out and walk toward the kitchen. He has just finished cooking some eggs, bacon, toast and cut apples he found. He thinks that surely she will eat something that he as laid out for her.

"Hey babe, hope you are hungry," he says while grinning at her.

She looks at the food and then back up at him with a shocked expression. This worries Edward and he quickly tries to assure her.

"I'm not the best cook, but I promise it's edible. The only thing I can cook is breakfast food," he says jokingly.

"It's not that, it's just . . . never mind. Thank you," Bella responds softly.

"No problem sweetheart. Now dig in!"

She puts a conservative amount of each item on her plate. Edward frowns at this, he knows she must be hungry. He grabs the spoon from her delicate hand and piles more food on her plate. The tight line of her mouth turns up into a grin at him, she then sits down on a stool at the countertop. He moves to the refrigerator to see what he has to offer her to drink.

"What would you like? I have orange juice, coffee or water. I have stronger stuff, but you don't look the type," he smirks as he turns to face her.

"Orange juice would be nice, thank you," she answers politely.

Edward reaches into the cabinet for two glasses and pours each full of juice. Bella graciously accepts the glass and begins eating quickly. He leans back and watches, unbeknownst to her. He can't help but wonder when the last time she ate was. He then begins to work on his own plate. She finishes by the time he has eaten half of his food.

Bella suddenly stands up, "Thank you for everything but, I'm sorry I can't recall your name," she says timidly.

"Don't worry babe, last night was pretty stressful for you. I'm Edward, Edward Cullen, pleased to meet you. And you are?"

She looks down sheepishly. "My name is Bella Swan. That sounds so weird to say out loud. I was close to forgetting it," she replies, speaking more to herself than to Edward.

He gazes at her with a confused look. "Well, Bella Swan, why is it so weird?"

"It's nothing, don't be concerned about it," she says hurriedly. She is worried that if he finds out, that he will make sure she gets back to him. She can't go back to that hell, not when she has now tasted what it feels like to be away from there.

"Now beautiful, you can't say something like that and not arouse my interest," he says soothingly to her.

"Thanks again Edward, but I need to go," Bella states as she walks to the door to leave.

"Where are you going? You don't even have any shoes. Are you sure there isn't someplace I can drive you to or someone I can call?"

Bella looks at Edward with tears in her eyes. He thinks to himself that he would rather have his finger slammed in a door than to see her cry. What is it about this girl, how can she have this effect on me, he wonders? He decides to try a different tactic to get her to talk and not cry.

"Is there a boyfriend I need to take care of?" he smirks while hitting his fists together.

She shakes her head. "No, nothing like that. Look, I really don't have anywhere to go and no one to call. I realize you don't know me, but could I stay here for a few hours until I get something figured out? I understand if the answer is no, you have already done too much for me."

This completely takes Edward off guard. He can't believe she just asked to stay there longer when she was just attempting to flee as fast as she could. Honestly, he feels relieved, almost happy that she wants to stay. He quickly dismisses that thought and continues to look at her wide-eyed. Bella takes his silence as his answer.

"Ok, well I really appreciate all you have done for me. I will get your clothes to you soon. It was nice meeting you Edward," she tells him as she walks toward the door.

Edward panics, "Whoa, hold up! You can stay here if you like. You know, until you find what you need and all. Sorry to make you think otherwise, I was just surprised is all."

"Oh, thank you! I was starting to really worry about where I was going to go. I hate to ask you this, but can you help me find out some information? I need to try to find out about my past and try to find my dad. Do you know of a way that I could find that sort of stuff out?" Bella asks anxiously.

Edward studies her for a moment. He ponders what she has asked of him. Why would she need to find out about her past? What's the deal with her dad? Maybe she is a runaway, he reasons to himself. If that is the case, how does it explain her condition when he found her? She must have been on the run for a long time. He gives up trying to figure her out for the moment, he is just thinking of more questions and becoming more frustrated.

He finally asks her, "Uh, what help do you need?"

Bella shifts back and forth on her sore feet. She looks down while trying to narrow down what she first wants to know. She feels overwhelmed with potentially unlocking some pieces to herself.

"I'm not sure. What is the date and where am I? she eventually decides to ask.

Edward thinks this is an odd question. Then he jumps to the conclusion that maybe she is a druggie and has been on a bender for some time. He shrugs off this idea as well. She looks far too innocent to do something like that.

"Well, it's April 14, 2017, and you are in my apartment in Lawton, Oklahoma," he replies. Bella's dark eyes grow larger than they already are. She looks as if she is completely astonished at this information. Then she laughs at Edward.

"2017? Are you sure? That can't be right, very funny," she tells him while giggling.

"Honey, I wouldn't lie to you. What year do you think it is?" That's it, Edward thinks to himself. She is crazy. She has a mental disorder. He believes that he finally has his explanation now.

"I honestly don't have a clue, I just didn't expect you to say 2017," she answers soberly.

"Well, what was the last year that you remember?"

Bella stops and thinks for a moment. She begins talking out loud to herself. "I was five or six, and I was born in 1996 so it was either 2001 or 2002. So, I guess I'm twenty years old now, wow, I really didn't even know how old I was until just now. So, I've lost like fifteen years of my life. This is so surreal."

She looks up at Edward and asks, "Wait, you said Lawton, Oklahoma, right? My dad was here for work. My mom and I were on our way to visit him. We were on a road trip to see him. Then he took us."

Bella stops speaking and raises her hand to her mouth. She looks like she is about to faint. Edward walks her to the couch to sit down. Edward then whips his head toward her as he just processed what she said. He's replaying in his mind the words she last spoke. Then he took us. This girl was kidnapped. Does that thing really happen around here? He doesn't remember hearing anything like this in the past. Maybe this is some elaborate scheme to take his money. Edward now feels that perhaps her innocent look may just be an impressive act.

"Where are you from babe?" he decides to ask her.

She looks at him bewildered, "That's the thing, I don't remember. I don't really remember a lot about my past, the memories that I have are faded. I don't know what memories are real. I can't recall where I'm from, but for some reason, I remember where we were going. I don't even know if I really remember my parents' names." With this outburst, she begins to cry once more.

"Babe, please don't cry. Look, I think we need to call the cops. They can help you and – "

"No, no please no! He can't find me. They will bring me back to him. He said that he would always find me and that I am always to be with him. He said he would be able to persuade anyone that I was supposed to be with him. Please, don't let them take me back! I would rather die, being there is worse than death. Please, please promise me. Please...," she pleads hysterically.

"Honey, okay, okay. Don't worry. I won't call the cops, yet. I will help you find out who you are and who your parents are. I will even let you stay here until you find them and figure out where you're from. Just please don't cry, I can't handle it when you cry, sweetheart," Edward tells her sincerely.

He now quickly dismisses all of his misconstrued theories about Bella. Her story is just about too hard to believe, but he doesn't think she is trying to pull off a con on him. He decides that he now has his work cut out for himself. He is also going to have a girl stay with him in a strictly platonic sense. He is going to lose his bad boy status. He is going to lose his privacy. He does know one thing for certain, he will not fall for this doe-eyed beauty, that is the one thing he will fight.


	5. Chapter 5

**Characters belong to S. Meyer, I'm just having a little fun with them.**

 **Please follow/favorite/and REVIEW! Your honest opinion matters to me, please let me know what you think!**

Edward told Bella that the first thing they should do is search the internet for any information on her and her parents. He had to refresh her memory as to what the internet was. After she listened, she eagerly agreed.

"I'm going to start with just doing a search for your name to see what it pulls up," Edward clarifies.

He types Bella Swan on the keyboard and hits the enter key. Much to their disappointment, the search comes up empty.

"Am I spelling your name right?" Edward asks.

"Yes, that much I do know," Bella replies.

"Let's try your name and birthday."

"Alright, my birthday is July 28, 1996."

He enters this information in and still the news they are hopeful for never arrives.

"Do you remember your parents' names?"

"Try Renee and Charlie, that seems right. Can you try that?"

Edward nods his head. After trying their names the search still is fruitless.

"Maybe that wasn't their names. It's been a long time, perhaps you have forgotten," Edward says softly.

"Maybe so, but it seems like everything about me and my family has been erased. Is that possible? He told me that no one would believe anything I told them if I escaped. Could he have done this?"

"I guess it's possible. My cousin Emmett has had a lot of different jobs and kind of a shady past. I wonder if he could dig up something on you. He is good with that kind of thing. Don't worry, he is good now. He won't tell anyone about you, and we don't have to give him many details about your life," he adds as he notices her scared expression.

She breathes out a sigh of relief. Bella nods her head at him as he moves away from his desk to retrieve his phone.

"Hey Emmett, are you downstairs? Good, you busy? Come up here for a sec, I need your help with something. Yeah, everything is good, just come up. See ya in a minute," Edward says into his phone.

"He's coming up, don't be scared of him, he's harmless. But, he tends to say everything that goes through his mind, so I'm warning you now."

She grins at him. A few moments later there is a loud knock as the door is being opened.

"What's up bro?" the red-head says loudly, "Who is this looker? Well hello, beautiful," Emmett says while smirking at her.

"Emmett leave her alone, she's not interested. This is Bella, I'm helping her out for a while till she gets back on her feet. She's had a rough go of it, and we need help finding some info for her." Bella shyly tries to hide behind Edward while he speaks to Emmett.

"So, Bella, how do you know my cuz? Wait, why are you wearing his Zeppelin shirt? He never lets anyone even touch that shirt. Are you two together? No way, I never thought I would live to see Edward Cullen tied down! Wait, when did this happen? I need to tell some people downstairs," Emmett says laughing.

"Emmett, shut it! We are not together! She is just a friend, I'm helping her out. Now, are you going to help or not?" Edward shouts at him.

"Easy bro, chill. Okay, okay. What do you need to find out?"

"Well, I tried to Google her name, birthday, and parents' names but I keep coming up empty. She needs to get her birth certificate to get some stuff in order," Edward answers.

"Why can't you just ask your parents for that stuff?" he asks while looking at Bella.

"Well, I, uh . . ." she stammers out while flushing.

"She isn't on speaking terms with them. We have to do this on our own. Can you help or not?" Edward says curtly.

"Yeah, write down her stuff and I will see what I can do. It might take me some time so be patient and don't breathe down my neck," the redhead replies.

Edward moves back to the computer and writes down the information he had entered into the computer and hands the paper to Emmett.

"Thanks man, please don't drop the ball on this. She really needs this," Edward states to Emmett.

"Don't worry. On another note, if I get this for you, what is my chance for a date babe?" Emmett says to Bella while wiggling his eyebrows.

"Not a chance in he-" Edward starts, but Bella cuts him off before he can finish his word.

"Please don't swear around me. I knew someone who would use those types of words and told me he was good and against evil, but he was a hypocrite. My parents told me that anyone can use those kinds of words, but smart people find other ways to express their feelings in ways that God would approve of," she tells them while holding back tears.

Both men look at her with an astonished expression, then mumble apologies.

"Alright, Edward you got a babe that only likes sweet talk, good luck with that. You have to keep yourself under control," Emmett says amused.

"Shut it you red-headed . . . never mind. Just let me know as soon as you find something," Edward tells him.

"Man, I'm going to enjoy sitting back and watching while you try to hold your tongue, this is classic. Wait till everyone downstairs finds out!"

"You will keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you or I will . . ." Edward threatens.

"Okay, okay, whatever man. I'll let you know what I come up with," Emmett says as he turns to leave.

"Pleasure meeting you Bella, I know we will be seeing a lot of each other," he says to her while smiling widely.

"Bye and thank you," she tells him softly.

Once he leaves, Edward apologizes again for him.

"Please don't worry about it. I have to get used to being around people again, so I suppose I should get used to him too," she tells him.

"I really don't know if anyone can get used to Emmett," he responds lightheartedly.

Bella laughs at this and Edward looks at her wide-eyed.

"She laughs! Finally, an emotion other than sadness! Your improving sweetheart," he says enthusiastically.

"Yeah, yeah," she says while bowing her head.

Edward just smiles at her. Bella has a sinking feeling that he is wondering what he has got himself into.

* * *

It has been a week since Edward found Bella or vice versa. She has spent her days perched in his living room window, observing the comings and goings of the street below. She gazes upon the picturesque mountains in the morning and evening as the sun rises and sets upon them. Bella finds peace in the birds singing to each other and even in the cars honking their horns. She doesn't tell Edward that she feels that she is being watched from the window. She cannot tell where the person is, but she can feel their eyes on her, studying her every move from where she sits. She has a gnawing feeling that he has found her. She senses his presence. She has the same terror running through her body as she did in the dungeon when he was expected to arrive. Bella is pulled out of her thoughts by Edward walking into the room.

"So, beautiful, what would you like to do? Looks like we have the whole day to ourselves," Edward asks as he looks at Bella.

"I have no idea, what is there to do?"

He ponders this for a bit. Edward then looks her over, head to toe. This makes Bella feel uncomfortable as she blushes and looks away. He smirks at this.

"Well, I guess you need some clothes, right? You can't wear mine every day," he laughs. Bella looks back at him with her mouth gaping open and eyes wide.

"I don't want you to have to buy me anything! You are doing more for me than anyone else ever has!" she tells him truthfully.

"Sweetheart, I'm not going to let you wear my Zeppelin shirt every day, I like it too much," he says to her smirking. She grins at him and after much thought gives in to him.

"I suppose you don't know what size you are, do you? Or what, uh, intimate stuff you need, right?" he states sheepishly. Bella blushes at this as does Edward.

"No, I haven't been able to choose my own clothes for years. What I had on when I met you was the only thing I had to wear for the last few years," she tells him while looking embarrassed.

"That explains why I saw them in the trash then. Let me make a call. My friend Alice can help, she owes me anyway." Edward walks to his bedroom to call her. Bella begins to feel very anxious. She doesn't want to leave the safety of the apartment, especially since she is beginning to feel reasonably calmer now. She starts to worry about seeing him again. What if he tries to take her again? She has so many different scenarios running through her mind she doesn't notice Edward walking back into the room. He sits beside her on the couch and she is instantly snapped out of her thoughts.

"Here, try these on," he tells her as he hands her a pair of oversized flip-flops.

"Most places don't look too kindly on being barefoot," he explains.

"Thanks," she responds while smiling at him. He returns the smile, stands, and offers his hand to her.

"Come on, let's go," he says. Bella gazes at his still, outstretched hand. Then she peers up at his grinning face and reluctantly accepts it.

They leave the apartment and go downstairs to a driveway behind the building. Edward leads her to a dark blue truck while Bella constantly looks around to make sure he isn't hiding somewhere. Edward notices what she is doing and begins to glance around as well.

"Babe, I'm not going to let anything happen to you, okay? Trust me please." Bella looks at him thoughtfully then nods, hurrying to his truck.

"She's not the best or newest, but I love her. She is the first thing I paid cash for, so she is all mine" he lovingly says about his pride and joy.

"I take it that your truck is a girl, what's her name then?" she asks. She is now very amused and feeling more secure. Bella has even forgotten to continue looking for him due to delighting in the current conversation.

"I'm glad you asked. Babydoll, meet the most important lady in my life, Sundara," he tells her proudly.

"Sundara? Really? I thought it would be a dangerous or mysterious name, like Delilah," Bella snorts.

"Don't be hating on my truck! Sundara means beautiful, which she is to me," Edward says thoughtfully while gently rubbing the dashboard.

Bella smiles while quietly riding alongside him through the town. She peers out the window, taking everything in. She rolls down the window and enjoys the breeze hitting her face. She loves the sensation of the sun shining on her and closes her eyes to completely relax. After a few minutes, Edward asks her if she is okay.

"Never better. I forgot how nice it is to feel the wind blowing through my hair and to soak up the sunshine. I have really missed it," Bella responds thoughtfully. Edward is perplexed by her statement.

"What do you mean? Have you not been able to go outside for a while or something?"

"Uh, no not exactly. So, where are we going?" she asks, trying to change the subject.

Edward realizes that she still isn't ready to tell him anything yet. "Alice works as a hairdresser. We are going to the shop she works in to meet up with her, then she will tell us the plan."

Bella nods then sits back and closes her eyes once more. They pull up to a little shop a few minutes later. The outside of the building is painted like a zebra and the windows are covered in writing. She begins to feel anxious and starts cautiously looking around again.

"Is it safe in there? I mean, you're going in too, right?" she asks nervously.

Edward chuckles, "Of course, I would hate for Alice to scare you off."

He steps out of the truck and walks around to Bella's side. He graciously opens her door and offers his hand to her. She quickly accepts it then glues herself to his side. She is hanging on to him while attempting to shield herself behind his tall frame. As Edward opens the door to the shop a bell rings above their heads to signal their arrival.

"Edward, I'll be done in just a minute," a woman's voice calls out.

Bella is still standing close to Edward as she tentatively moves her head away from his arm to look around. She slowly studies the room she is in. There is a woman getting her nails painted in one corner. She thinks to herself that she would love to do that. She looks further into the room and sees another lady getting her haircut. Bella thinks that she could undoubtedly use a haircut, it's been over fifteen years since she has had one. Alice notices her look longingly at this and speaks up.

"Bella, come sit in this chair, and I will work my magic on you!"

Bella gazes at Alice apprehensively. She studies the woman before her. She notes that this woman is taller than she is, but not by much. She has a medium build and a dazzling, sincere smile. Bella is taken aback by Alice's hair. It's long, silky, and much to her surprise, purple. Various shades of purple, rich dark shades of violet mixed with lighter shades. Bella has never seen anything like it, but how would she? She has been shut away from the world for so long. Alice also has the most beautiful blue eyes under her dark eyebrows and lashes. Bella notes that Alice wears a lot of makeup, although she thinks that the woman before her is beautiful. Her clothes are pretty simple, but then Bella assumes it's because her hair is making the statement for her. She notices that Alice has a few tattoos on her forearms as well. Bella assumes that Edward probably did those since they were friends.

Bella walks over to where Alice has gestured for her to sit. She cautiously lowers herself into the spinning chair. Alice puts a black drape over her and spins her to face the mirror. Both women gaze at the reflection. A kind of sadness shadows Alice's face, compelling Bella to look away.

"Hey now, I'm the best of the best. When I'm done, you won't recognize yourself," Alice says smiling.

Bella smiles back and takes a deep breath. She looks behind her reflection to see Edward gazing back at her. When he realizes that she has noticed, he looks away while giving a small cough. Alice sees this also and snickers at him.

Alice leans down to Bella's ear and quietly says, "I don't know what you have done to my bestie, but keep it up. This is the first time he has been decent to be around since his parents died." Bella looks at her in amazement before she shyly grins.

Alice then leads Bella over to a sink and shampoos her hair gently. Unexpectedly, Bella has a flashback to her childhood of her mother doing the same thing to her. She recalls her mother's smiling face as she sang along to the radio that was in the bathroom. Her mom knew so many songs. She would sing and dance along to every song she heard, whether she knew the words or not. Bella remembers being so happy and loved with her mom. She shuts her eyes to hold off the tears she fears are about to fall. Alice senses something is off and motions for Edward. He walks up then leans over Bella.

"Hey sweetheart, you doing okay?" he questions softly.

"Yeah, sorry. I just remembered something. It was my mom washing my hair when I was younger, also some other details about her. I can see her face, I thought that I had forgotten it. I'm sorry, I just got overwhelmed for a moment. I'm okay now, really." She tells him trying to get the look of concern off of his face. He turns back to Alice then nods. Alice walks back over to Bella and continues while Edward stays close by.

When Alice is finished, she brings Bella back over to the chair with Edward following protectively behind them. Alice begins to carefully comb out the mass of dark tangles and mats. She then studies Bella's hair and asks if she would be fine with cutting quite a bit off. Alice holds up her hand about four inches below Bella's shoulders to show her where she wants to cut her hair. Bella looks over to Edward to see what his opinion is. He smiles and tells her that it is completely up to her. Bella beams at this. She hasn't been able to make a choice of her own for a long time. She is delighted with just being asked what she wants. Bella looks back over to Alice and nods at her while smiling.

"Let's do it," Bella tells her.

Alice broadly smiles back and gets her scissors out of a drawer. She spins the chair around where Bella cannot see her reflection anymore. Alice begins cutting her hair as Bella watches six to eight-inch strands fall to the floor. Bella feels relieved as she watches the pile of hair grow. There goes that part of her life she thinks to herself. Never again will she be treated like that, where her voice is ripped away from her.

If Bella is being truly honest, she really doesn't care what Alice does to her hair. She is just ready to look different, feel different and most importantly, be different.


	6. Chapter 6

"Introducing the new and improved Bella," Alice announces as she rotates Bella's chair in the direction of the mirror.

"Tada!" she says enthusiastically. Bella opens her eyes and gazes in astonishment at her reflection. _Who is the girl that I'm looking at?_ she marvels. She doesn't recognize herself. The girl in the mirror looks younger. Her hair is dark chocolate and glossy as it tumbles in loose waves down her shoulders. She notices that the girl's face looks joyful and poised now, no longer morose. The smile that graces her face is genuine. _Could this girl really be me?_ She reaches up and gently touches her soft, new locks. Bella looks over at Edward who is smiling ear to ear at her.

"What do you think?" she asks him shyly.

"I think you look gorgeous, not that you weren't already beautiful before," he says, still smiling.

She looks at Alice through the mirror's reflection, who looks delighted with herself.

"I never thought I would hear you say those words sincerely to anyone," Alice says to Edward while snickering.

"So, what now?" Edward asks swiftly, trying to change the subject.

"Now we shop till we drop! Off to the mall, I'll follow you," she tells them.

Edward leads Bella back to the truck and they get in. They drive to the mall, Alice parks her car close to them.

"If it's ok with you, darlin', I'm going to leave you with Alice for a while. She can bring you back to my place when you're done," Edward states to her.

"Are you sure you can't come? What if he is there? What if he tries to take me back?" Bella anxiously whispers to him.

"Babe, I told you before, you are safe. I'm not going to let that ba-, I mean guy get near you. You can trust Alice, she's tougher than she looks. She can take someone out if necessary."

Bella gazes at him, then looks toward Alice, who is grinning, nodding her head in agreement.

"You'll be fine, I have Edward's credit card so hurry up before he changes his mind!" Alice declares as she yanks Bella toward the entryway. The anxious girl glances back at him one last time, then waves as he grins.

"Am I assuming correctly that you don't have any clothes since you are wearing Edward's?" Alice inquires.

"Yeah, is it obvious that I'm wearing his clothes?"

"Yes, especially since you are in his coveted Led Zeppelin shirt that no one is allowed to touch," she laughs.

"Great, well, where to first?"

"Let's go in here, they have nice stuff and usually good sales," Alice says.

They stroll over to a store, and Bella starts to feel as though she is being watched. A sick feeling grows in the pit of her stomach, like an anxiety attack. She quickly looks down to hide her face, takes deep breaths and walks behind Alice trying to shield herself.

"What are you doing back there, come on," she says while stepping aside to have Bella walk next to her. The brunette continues to walk with her head down, using her hair as a curtain to hide her face. When they enter the store, Bella finally looks up to find Alice grabbing all that she sees. Bella's feeling of being hunted passes as Alice leads her to a dressing room and orders her to try an outfit on. Bella puts it on and opens the door. Alice frowns while shaking her head.

"Nope, that won't work, too big. Let me get another size for you to try. I'll be right back."

She hurries back with another outfit. When Bella opens the door for Alice's inspection this time the violet-haired woman seems satisfied.

"That's your size, now this will be easier. Come with me and let's find some stuff you like," Alice remarks excitedly.

Bella follows her throughout the store. In the amount of time it takes for her to look through one rack of clothes, Alice has already grabbed at least ten items for her to try on. Alice chooses shirts and dresses that are black and dark gray. They are nice, but after being in the dark for so long Bella wants to wear lots of colors. She doesn't want to offend Alice but asks that instead of the black dress if she could try the red on in its place. Alice looks at her and notices that Bella has a handful of yellow, red, blue, and white clothes. Alice then exchanges her armful of dark clothes for brighter ones.

"I have to agree with you, color suits you much better than black. Sorry about that, I just always grab all dark colors for myself. I guess I forgot I wasn't shopping for me," she says apologetically.

"That's okay, I just haven't had much for so long, I really want to have some colorful clothes," Bella says to her.

The two women look through countless racks of clothes. Bella can't even fathom how many of the styles are categorized as clothes. The shirts are so short, see-through or low cut. The jeans have rips in them, which Alice says is the style. _Who would pay for ripped up jeans?_ Bella looks at Alice, bewildered. She giggles, saying that Bella just doesn't appreciate fashion. Bella concludes that she doesn't think that she really wants to be a fashionista after studying the options.

After what feels like hours, Alice is satisfied with what they have chosen. The clothes won't attract too much attention and will allow Bella to blend in without difficulty. They are all modestly cut and cover well. Most importantly, Bella feels very comfortable in them. The young girl has also made sure that the material of the clothes is soft and plush. She will never wear scratchy clothes again. Alice suggests that Bella change into a pair of the jeans and a shirt before they leave the store.

"Now let's get some bras and panties," Alice says to Bella while wiggling her eyebrows. She looks at the woman before her in horror and feels her cheeks heat up.

They walk to the next store with several bags on their arms and are greeted by a sales lady. Alice asks the lady to measure Bella, who looks over to her alarmed.

"It's okay, just follow her to a dressing room, she will see what size of bra you need," Alice tells her as she takes in the young girl's anxious demeanor.

Bella is led to a dressing room with a curtain and is asked to raise her arms to shoulder level. The lady pulls the tape measure across her chest in several places and determines her bra size. Bella is thankful that she can leave her shirt on during this process. The lady leads her out of the room, over to a drawer of bras that are her size.

Bella glances around the store. She notices that no one else in here appears to be as mortified as she is. Some women are even holding the bras up to themselves while looking at their reflection. In the back of the store, she thinks she sees a glimpse of him. Her breath hitches in her throat, her instincts tell her to drop everything and run. She looks over at Alice, who glances up at her at the same time and smiles. _It must be nothing, I need to get control over this_. She looks toward the same area again, everything seems normal. There is a woman standing there now, holding up a risqué black nightgown. Bella turns red-faced again as she blindly selects three bras that are identical in style and color. Alice observes this and suggests to Bella about what she has selected.

"You don't want all black bras, especially since you bought all bright colors of clothes. How about we get one beige, one light pink, and one gray. That way they won't be seen under your clothes."

This makes sense to Bella and she agrees to this. Alice then takes her over to the panties. Bella determines that the colors don't matter much and selects the first style she sees in hopes of being able to leave quickly.

"Why don't you get a few pairs of each style, then later you can come back and get more of the kind you like."

Bella is incredibly grateful that Alice came with her. She has no idea what she is doing, but Alice gently helps her with everything without making her feel foolish.

When the awkward event of purchasing her intimate apparel is complete, they leave the mall and walk back to Alice's car. The two women load the trunk with the numerous bags, then pull out of the parking lot to head to Edward's house.

"I texted Edward to tell him we are on our way. He said to give him about thirty more minutes then he will be there. Let's get something to eat and drive around to get to know each other better," Alice tells her.

"Sure, sounds like fun." _Not fun, what is she going to ask me? How do I respond without revealing too much?_ Bella fears to herself.

Alice breaks the silence in the car, "Let me tell you more about myself. My name is Alice Brandon. I'm twenty-three and I have always lived in this town. I dreamed of moving away to any big city, but I just never could force myself to go. I've been dating the deliciously handsome, Jasper Whitlock, for about three years now. He works at the pool hall near Edward's place and goes to college. I'm not so patiently waiting for a ring," she grins while holding up her left hand wagging her ring finger.

"I have known Edward since middle school. He was a little older than me, but we had the same friends. It was always me, him, and Emmett. When his parents died, he was really messed up. They died a few months before his graduation. He divided living with my family and Emmett's family until he graduated. He moved to Vegas for a few years and studied under one of his dad's friends to become a tattoo artist. That really shocked all of us, since he had always wanted to be a doctor. He was always clean cut, innocent, and quiet in school. It was shocking when he came back from Vegas with the tattoos, piercings, and this hard, bad-boy persona. If he lets you in, I'm not saying he will, you will see that he is a gentle giant. He puts up a front to protect himself from getting hurt again. I think the only people that really know the true Edward are Emmett and myself, and that's because we didn't let him push us away. If he seems closed off don't let it get to you, don't give up on him."

Bella looks at Alice with a stunned expression. She can't believe that Edward has gone through so much. She feels like she can relate to him better. They are both damaged, just trying to survive. One thing that really amazes her is that Edward doesn't seem like the doctor type. She also can't picture him as a quiet, innocent boy. He has never been harsh with her though. Bella begins to wonder what Alice means by defending himself. She thinks that he has been open with her, hasn't he?

"How old is Edward?" Bella questions.

"Let's see, he is twenty-five going on fifty. Sometimes, I swear he is like a grumpy old man. His moods flip-flop as bad as mine, but I have an excuse," she laughs.

"Oh, I didn't want to ask him and seem like I was prying or something."

"He wouldn't take it that way, he might give you a hard time but he is a pretty honest guy. You never need to worry where you stand with him, he doesn't sugar coat anything. Well, at least anymore."

"He has been nothing but kind and understanding with me. He has been great actually," Bella adds.

Alice looks at the shy girl next to her, she thinks to herself that this girl could be the one that can bring her friend back from wherever he has hidden himself. Alice smiles at the brunette, happy that Edward and she have found each other.

Alice pulls into a fast-food drive-thru and places their order. They eat greasy burgers and fries in the car while driving around Lawton. She points out the movie theater, park, and some other stores. Bella is really enjoying herself with her new friend. Alice doesn't treat her any differently, or question her even though she has to know that something is off about the new girl. It's invigorating to Bella to just be a normal twenty-year-old in this woman's eyes. Alice goes on to tell Bella about the people that work for Edward. She says that Emmett is all bark and no bite, but to be careful of James. He is all bark and all bite, whatever that means. She must have had a misunderstanding with him, Bella reasons. Alice declares that she is friends with Rosalie and Angela that work there also and that they all hang out together. Bella is glad to know that she will be seeing more of Alice, but it depends on how long it takes for her to find her dad.

Alice's phone vibrates causing her to look down at it. She says Edward has texted that he is home now. Bella nods while Alice begins to drive to his house.

"Alice, thank you for the haircut and helping me with the shopping. I couldn't have made it through the day without you. I'm also glad it was you instead of Edward. I don't think I could have asked him if what I was trying on looked good or not," Bella voices to her honestly.

"I think he felt the same way! He was more than relieved when I told him we needed a girls' day. Listen, I made you up a bag of shampoo, conditioner, brushes and some girlie soap. I put it in the trunk with your other bags. I'm sure you don't want to walk around smelling like Edward all the time," she giggled.

"Thank you again. I have never really had a friend, so I'm new to all of this. Thanks for being patient with me and not thinking I'm out of my mind," she says to the woman sitting beside her.

"Bella, no worries! That's what friends are for. You will realize this soon enough, but you will have no problem making friends," she tells her while grinning.

They pull up to Edward's driveway and spot him walking out to meet them. He goes to the trunk and begins unloading it.

"We didn't max it out, but we could have. You're welcome," Alice smirks as she hands his credit card back to him.

"Well, did Bella get all that she needs? Do we need to go back?" he asks.

"You tell me. She has shoes, socks, panties, bras, shirts, skirts, jeans, shorts . . ."

"Okay, okay, I didn't need to know everything. Some things you can keep to yourself."

Alice knows just how to embarrass him and walks toward Bella laughing. She hands the girl a piece of paper with her phone number on it, telling Bella to call anytime. She wants to get together with the other girls soon and wants her to join them. Bella thanks her again with a hug as Alice turns to get in her car and leave.

The cautious girl follows Edward up the stairs back into his apartment, still with an uneasy feeling of being observed.

* * *

 _Satan has got to her. She is tainted now. When I get her back, she will have to go through a deep cleansing ritual. I must get her back before that man does something to further stain her. Once he defiles her, she will no longer be able to carry out the plan set forth for us. All of my hard work will be for nothing. Does she not know that she and I are destined for something higher? We are the chosen ones to fulfill our god's plan for salvation._ These thoughts are running through his head as he watches Bella from the dark alley across from the tattoo parlor. He had found her yesterday, quite by accident. He had scoured the creek and woods outside his home for her, expecting that she would be there. When his search was unsuccessful, he turned his pursuit to the path toward town. He looked in every ditch and under each overpass for her. He couldn't believe that she had gotten away from him.

He walked down the busy street, tired and hungry. He hadn't stopped searching since he had stirred from her attack. He had been on his quest for days. He stopped in front of a café to lean against the building to rest for a moment. He looked around, catching a glimpse of chocolate waves from across the street _. Is that her? It can't be. I taught her to trust only me. I am the Master, she wouldn't dare go against me._

He continued to watch from his station as she got into a truck with a tall man. He saw her grin at this man, but she had a frightened countenance. She is glancing around for someone. _She must be looking for me. She wants me to bring her home,_ he believed. He then raced to his car to follow the truck. He kept his distance as to not alert them that he was trailing them. He was surprised when the truck pulled into a hair salon. This man is trying to change his creation. He is trying to make her worldly. _I see that he already has her dressing differently. What is he doing? Why would he destroy my hard work? He must be Lucifer. He wants to abolish my way to get to heaven. She is the only way to save salvation, and he wants to destroy her._

He waits in a parking lot across the street from the salon in his car, watching the door to the establishment. An hour passes when she finally emerges. Her appearance is changed, he doesn't like it. He had made her the way he wanted, now it was ruined. He begins to formulate a plan in his mind to capture her. He knows that at some point she will be by herself, that's when he will make his move. He will need to go to the store to get the proper supplies to carry out his plan.

He snaps out of his thoughts when he notices the truck pulling out of the parking lot. He quickly starts his car, shadowing them again. This time the truck parks at the mall. _Perfect, lots of people, I can blend in. She will never see me as I chase her_. He parks his car a row over, carefully exits, and stays hidden behind cars as he trails them. He stops when he sees the man talking to his girl again. This is when he notices that she is not only with him, but some purple haired freak. _Please, my lord, don't let these heathens corrupt her. Help her to stay on the path you have chosen for us. Help her to realize that it is her destiny to save mankind with me, to fulfill the prophecy you have set forth_ , he silently prays.

He follows the two girls into the mall after the tall man leaves them. He thinks that he will have Bella back soon. He assumes that he can take the freak out easily and seize Bella. He watches as they look at clothes in a store. _Why is she choosing such hideous things to wear? Why would she pick a red dress? Satan is working on her. Look at how vain she is becoming_. It repulses him, but he is determined to correct this way of thinking once she is back in the bunker.

After a long time, the girls walk over to a lingerie store. He watches in horror as his girl is paraded over to the bras. He sneaks in unnoticed to the back of the store to obtain a better view. Unfortunately, he didn't see a cart that was next to him, he stumbles over it and causes a commotion. He ducks his head behind a stand and waits a moment. He rises to continue watching her. The freak is now showing her different styles of underwear. _How dare this freak corrupt his innocent angel_!

He begins to think of a way to get the freak away from Bella. _I can follow them when they are away from others I can kill the freak. After I have Bella back, I'll come back and kill that tattooed Lucifer too. My god will reward me greatly once I complete this plan. Then I will again prepare Bella for our greatest accomplishment, saving mankind. If she attempts to leave again, she will be used as an offering to my god, just as her mother was._

He peers at the women from a distance the rest of the day, until they are again at the tattoo parlor. He parks his car in the alley across the street and observes. He spots Lucifer help the freak and Bella with the bags. He notices how Lucifer smiles at his Bella. _He is luring her into his evil trap. He knows she is needed for salvation, that is why he is trying to thwart the plan. Our god told in the prophecy that there would be one who would stand in the way. This must be him. I must cautiously study him. He will be stopped soon. I am the chosen one, along with Bella. We must fulfill the prophecy. We will not fail._ The man takes note of the address and pledges to return tomorrow to begin framing a plan. A plan that involves Bella and Edward. A plot that he intends on carrying out very soon. A battle between good and evil.


	7. Chapter 7

"Are you hungry? I can try to fix something," Edward says as he looks over at Bella.

"Alice and I picked something up while we waited for you to get back. I like her. She treats me like I'm normal. I like that," Bella tells him smiling.

"I thought you would like her, she has been my best friend for over ten years. She stuck by me even when I thought I didn't want her to," he tells her sadly.

"I can try to fix you something to eat, since you have done so much for me, and I can't really pay you back right now," she tells him, attempting to change the subject.

"Not necessary, but let's try to cook together. How about that?" he says to her and winks, then they walk toward the kitchen together.

"Well, this is embarrassing. I literally only own breakfast food," Edward says chuckling as he scans his pantry.

"I can make pancakes; would that be alright?" Bella asks timidly.

"I absolutely love pancakes! They are the most perfect food to ever have been created. Thanks babe, I don't remember the last time someone cooked for me," he declares thoughtfully.

"I really don't think I have cooked for anyone other than myself and him," she says irritably while tightly clutching her fists.

Edward notices this and quickly interjects. "Hey, you don't have to do this, really. Why don't you go rest instead? I don't like you getting all upset."

"I'm not letting him have power over me anymore. I would be more than happy to cook for you, just don't judge my cooking too severely," she replies trying to lighten the mood. Edward studies her face and sees that the tension has lifted.

"Fair enough, do you want any help?"

"Nope, unless you smell smoke I should be okay," she laughs.

Edward chuckles as he walks out of the kitchen to his desk in the living room. He tells her that he has some paperwork to complete for the parlor.

Bella finishes making the pancakes without any catastrophes. She stacks his plate high with five pancakes, slices of bacon, and fruit. She sets out orange juice, butter, and syrup then softly calls for him to come eat.

Edward walks into the kitchen, beams at her and his plate.

"Wow, you sure know the way to my heart darlin! This looks and smells great! I'm sure it will taste great too," he excitedly declares.

Bella starts to worry that he won't like it or that the food will taste bad. She timidly thanks him for the compliments but wishes he would have waited to bestow them upon her until after he has tasted everything. She watches as he carefully smears butter on each of his pancakes, then pours a generous amount of syrup on top of the stack. He cuts into the pancakes and takes in a mouthful. He chews for a moment then closes his eyes and sighs happily.

"This is so good, really, it is! Are you sure you don't want any? If you don't get any now, I'm going to definitely eat all of them," he tells her while chewing his next bite.

"I'm sure. I'm still full from earlier," she tells him while patting her stomach.

He laughs, "Good, because I didn't want to share!"

When he has finished every bite of his food, Bella takes his plate and begins to wash the dishes in the sink. Edward quickly stands up and walks to her, putting his hands over her delicate ones to stop her.

"Babe, since you cooked, I should clean up. It's only fair, right?" he questions her while looking down into her eyes. She blushes and quickly looks away.

"No, it's the least that I can do. Go sit down or whatever it is that you do. I will be done soon. I insist," she commands as she resumes her task.

"I feel pretty guilty making my guest cook and clean. Are you sure?"

"Absolutely, and you aren't forcing me. I'm making the choice to cook and clean up," she says as she smiles up at him.

Edward gives up and goes back to his desk. Bella washes the dishes off then places them in the dishwasher. When she has wiped down the counters and put everything back where she found it, she walks into the living room.

"Done so fast? It takes me way longer to do any of that," he admits after looking at the clock on the wall.

"Yeah, I've had some practice," she responds quietly while shifting back and forth on her feet. Edward looks at her for a moment. She can tell he is thinking about something.

"Have you ever seen the stars in an Oklahoma sky before?" he questions her as he smiles mischievously.

Bella shakes her head no to him while continuing to look down at the dark green carpet. Edward stands, places his hand gently on the small of her back, leading her out of the front door of the apartment. They walk to the end of a hallway to a steel door. When he opens the door, Bella notices a set of rusty stairs leading up. Edward turns to her as he gestures for her to begin ascending them and follows. When they reach the top, she realizes they are on top of the roof. She looks around, there is a table and several mismatched chairs set out.

"Oh wow, you can see so much from up here!" she says excitedly as she walks across the roof. Bella looks down at the street beneath them and watches the people entering the café a few doors down, and the cars driving by.

Edward joins her and points out past the buildings on the opposite side of the road. "If you look over there during the day you can see the mountain range," he tells her.

"I thought they were just pretty hills. So those are really mountains? In Oklahoma?" Bella asks surprised.

"Well, they're not the Rockies, but we have some," he jokes. She laughs along with him, eager to now see them in the daylight. Edward brings her over to one of the chairs, then sits down next to her.

"Look up sweetheart, enjoy the show."

Bella looks at him for a moment as he gazes up at the night sky. She then turns her head and is instantly captivated by the sight above her. She hasn't stargazed since she was a little girl back home with her dad. She abruptly has a recollection of camping in her backyard with her dad and looking up at the stars through the roof of the tent until she fell asleep in her sleeping bag. She can hear her dad's voice in her mind, "The stars are always there, even when we can't see them. They never go away. They are just like mom and my love for you. If one day you can't see us, know that we are still with you like the stars."

She looks down while trying to blink back the tears that threaten to fall from her eyes. Edward glances at her with alarm.

"Babe, what's wrong? Do you not like it? We can go back in . . ."

Bella stops him. "No, I just had a flashback to when I was little and looked at the stars with my dad. It was another forgotten memory that just came back," she tells him smiling.

He returns the smile and they sit together in silence for a long time, admiring the sky and listening to the sound around them. Edward stands up and stretches then turns to her.

"I think it's time for me to turn in, it's late. I need to be in the parlor tomorrow, and it has been a long day for everyone. What do you say?"

She agrees, trailing him back down the stairs to his apartment. Bella sits on the couch while Edward walks to his bedroom. He returns holding a pillow and an extra blanket.

"Sorry that I don't have an extra bedroom or anything. Are you sure that you are alright with sleeping on the couch?" he asks.

"The couch is perfect, thanks again," she grins at him while taking the bedding out of his outstretched arms. He then begins to turn out the lights. Bella begins to feel anxious as the room grows darker.

"Can you leave a light on? I don't like the dark."

He stops and looks at her confused, then realization sweeps over him. He swiftly flips the switch to the lamp next to the couch which softly illuminates that area of the room.

"Is this enough light?" he softly asks.

"Yes, thank you. Do you mind if I get ready for bed first? I will only be a moment," Bella asks him as she gestures toward the bathroom.

His face softens as he nods his head at her. "Take your time. Goodnight love."

"Goodnight Edward."

* * *

Edward is lying in bed tossing and turning, thinking about the brunette on his couch. Many thoughts run through his head, keeping him from sleep. _She must think I'm an insensitive idiot. How could I have forgotten that she wanted a light on? I have no idea as to what she has been subjected to. Then, I go and turn off all the lights. I'm so stupid._

He flips over in bed and tries to find a comfortable position. He glances to see that the clock reads 3:47 A.M. He comes to the realization that he won't get any sleep. He finally decides to give up on sleep, and just lies in bed with his eyes closed, attempting to clear his mind.

Edward hears something. He turns his head to the side to try to listen better. He hears it again. It's a soft whimpering. The sound is sporadic. The noise comes and goes. It must be Bella. Edward assumes that she is having a nightmare like she does every night. He gets out of bed and sluggishly walks over to his bedroom door to crack it open. As he's reaching for the doorknob, a blood-curdling scream pierces the room. He frantically almost rips the door off the hinges as he runs to where Bella is sleeping. She is not on the couch anymore. Edward desperately looks around for her but can't find where she is. He hears another scream and looks in the direction of where it came from.

She is cowered down against the west wall of the living room under a window. She appears to still be asleep. He slowly walks to her, trying not to startle her. He bends down and gently nudges her arm.

She shouts, "Get away from me! Don't touch me you monster! Someone help me, please! Help!"

"Babe, babe wake up! You aren't there! He can't touch you. Babe, babe, Bella," he harshly tells her, trying to get her attention.

Bella blinks and looks at him, confused. She then looks at where she is and asks, "What is going on? Why am I on the floor?" she mumbles.

"I heard you screaming so I came out here and finally found you on the floor. I tried to wake you, but you yelled for me to get away from you and called me a monster."

Bella begins to cry. He doesn't know how to handle the situation, so he awkwardly sits next to her and tries to hug her. He's unsure how she will react to being touched. Edward leans in with his arms stretched out and she leaps at him, wrapping her arms around his midsection tightly. He returns the embrace and whispers soothing words into her hair while slowly rocking back and forth.

After a few minutes, she sits back and looks at him, still with tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I don't think you are a monster. I just can't seem to fully get away from him," she says as another sob escapes her lips.

"Shhh, I know you didn't mean it. Do you want to go back on the roof and get some air?"

She nods and gets up. Edward grabs the blanket off the couch and follows her out the door. When they get to the roof, they both take a seat. Edward wraps the blanket gently around her. She looks up at the stars again, while he gazes at her. Bella turns her head toward him and gives him a slight smile.

"Do you want to know what I was doing when you were shopping with Alice?" he questions.

She shakes her head, so he continues.

"Last week was the anniversary of my parents' death." He looks over to see that he has her complete attention.

"It was seven years ago, April 14, 2010. My dad had planned this surprise for my mom. They were celebrating my mom's birthday, March 9; his birthday, June 29; and their anniversary July 25. My dad found this great deal for a private plane ride over the mountain range, they had always wanted to do that. The pilot was running some special to drum up business. My dad jumped at the chance and surprised my mom with it. They were so excited, it was all they could talk about. I remember they annoyed me to death about it," he laughs.

"They left early that morning. I was still asleep, I guess they didn't want to wake me to say good-bye. I got up sometime later and headed over to Emmett's house. We were playing video games when his dad, my uncle, rushed into the room. He looked at me with this bizarre expression on his face. It worried me, I thought I had done something wrong. He then walked over to me and hugged me. He had never hugged me before in his life. Then he said that his sister was dead. I just looked at him before I realized he meant my mom."

Bella gasps at this and looks at Edward wide-eyed.

"I yelled at him to knock it off. Emmett stood up and just stared at both of us. Then I heard Emmett's mom in the other room crying, so I knew it was true. I demanded that he tell me what exactly happened. He said the cops had just come by to tell them that the plane my parents were in crashed and that there were no survivors. I tried arguing with him, telling him that he was lying. I couldn't believe what he was telling me. Then I punched him and ran out of the house. I kept running until I got to my house. I threw open the door and started yelling out for my mom and dad, but no one answered."

He glances back at Bella and notices the silent tears running down her cheeks. He reaches over and wipes them away with the pads of his thumbs. He then asks if she wants him to continue, she nods.

"My uncle found me about an hour later. He said that the plane crashed shortly after takeoff. He told me to pack a bag and come back with him to stay until we got everything figured out. I found out later that the pilot had been in trouble before due to alcohol. During his autopsy, they found alcohol and anti-anxiety medication in his system. If my dad would have just researched him, he would have found all of that out easily. I was eighteen, so I could have lived on my own in the house. I found out that my parents had quite a lot of debt. My dad was a factory worker and my mom stayed home to raise me. I thought we were fine with money, but I guess we weren't. I know I never had to wish for anything, they provided well for me. Too well I suppose. I had to sell the house to cover their debts. I wasn't left with much more than about two thousand dollars. They died two months before I graduated, so I floated between staying at Emmett's house and Alice's. I had never gotten along very well with my uncle. The day after graduation I left for Vegas with the two thousand and stayed with my dad's friend Maddox. He is known all around the world for his tattoos. He's a legend. I was fortunate enough to have him take me under his wing and teach me all that he knew. I stayed there for about two years, trained and saved every bit of money that I could. I came back and bought this building and my truck. I opened Blacked Out Ink by myself. I was the only employee, but soon my reputation got around and I steadily grew in popularity, especially when people found out that I trained under Maddox. Now, five years later I have a successful business and I'm able to have employees. I'm happy now. Yesterday I went to the lake that my parents and I would go to often. It was the first time I had been back there since they've been gone. I felt closure when I went back. I've been through every emotion you can think of since they died. You will too, just don't give up. Besides, I'll be here to help," he tells her smiling.

Bella surprises him when she stands up, then leans down to embrace him. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. No one should have to feel the pain we have," she whispers tenderly in his ear.

He hugs her back, enjoying the warmth radiating from her small frame. He has faith that she will soon feel comfortable enough to talk to him.

"You know, I haven't talked about that day to anyone before. It feels pretty good to get that off my chest," he chuckles.

She pulls back and looks Edward straight in the eye and murmurs that she will soon. He knows what she means, she will talk soon, just not right now.


	8. Chapter 8

Unbeknownst to them, they had fallen asleep on the roof. Bella wakes up to the sound of birds chirping and the sun shining on her face. She turns over to find Edward in the chair beside her sleeping peacefully with his hair sticking up wildly in all directions. She ponders on everything he told her last night. She thinks that perhaps he is right, maybe she will feel better once she talks about what has happened. She is terrified of reliving the pain of what he has done to her. She is afraid of what Edward will think of her if she tells him. She still wonders if she can truly trust this man. He hasn't given her a reason to doubt him, in fact, he has given her every possible reason to trust him. Maybe today is the day, the day to put aside her fears and move on with her life.

She hears Edward rousing next to her and looks back over to him. He slowly opens his eyes and takes in his surroundings. He looks over at Bella and smiles.

"Good morning sunshine," he rasps.

"Good morning," she replies smiling back at him.

"Let's go in and find something to eat," Edward suggests. They walk downstairs to his apartment. They both look around the kitchen for options, eventually deciding on cereal.

"I really need to buy some groceries. I'll try to go today," he tells her.

"Can I go with you? I mean, if you don't mind," Bella asks shyly.

Edward looks at her for a moment and smiles. He takes note of the faint pink blush rising from her neck to her cheeks.

"You know what sweetheart, I think I could actually really use your help. After work, I can come up and get you, unless you want to come to work with me and meet everyone."

"No, that's okay. I'll just hang out here if it's alright with you. I don't want to get in your way."

"It's fine with me. You've got my number if you need me. I'll be back at lunch to check up on you. You know that you can come down to the parlor if you get bored, or anytime really," he tells her as he leaves her sitting in the window to get ready for work.

"Baby doll, you okay?" he calls out.

Bella turns around to see that he is only in a pair of jeans and no shirt. Her eyes travel down to his chest to gaze at his tattoos. He has so many of them, more than she had originally thought. The vast array of tattoos completely covers his arms, neck, chest, and back. Before she can distinguish what the tattoos are, she realizes that she is staring and quickly turns her head while blushing and awkwardly blurts out an answer to him. He stands in the doorway for a moment, she is sure he is wondering why she is acting so strangely.

"Oh man, sorry babe, I didn't mean to be shirtless in front of you. Let me get dressed," with that he hurries to his bedroom. She continues to look out the window while pressing her hands to her face in a failed attempt to stop the redness that has formed.

He comes out several minutes later, thankfully she is now calm and composed again. He walks over to her apologizing again.

"It's your apartment Edward, you can wear what you like," she tells him, trying to avoid another uncomfortable situation.

"Well, it was rude of me, sorry. But, I made some room in my closet and drawers for your clothes. You can't begin to feel at home here if you are living out of shopping bags, now can you?" he grins at her.

"You didn't have to do that, you don't even know how long I'm staying," she replies, still shocked at his gesture.

"I know, but this is your home too until then. I was also thinking that I'm being a horrible host. The guest should have the bed, so starting tonight I'll take the couch. You can't talk your way out of it, I insist. It was my house first, so my rules," he smiles.

Bella reddens again, thinking how can he possibly be so kind to her. She begins to worry that she is strictly a pity case for him and that he will be relieved when she leaves. This train of thought hurts her feelings and she instinctively wants to leave as soon as she can.

"You don't have to be this nice to me. I'm not a charity case. Just treat me like you would anyone else, please."

He looks at her with a pained expression on his face.

"You're not a charity case, you're my guest. If my mom was alive and found out that I had you stay on the couch, man she would have slapped me upside the head. I was raised better than that and I'm sorry. Now, I should head downstairs to open. I'll check on you after a while. Are you sure you're gonna be okay by yourself?" he asks worriedly while rubbing his neck.

Bella looks at him in awe. She still can't believe how fortunate she is to have met him. Edward, out of all the people in this city, going out of his way to make her feel welcome. He bought her clothes, food, provided her with a place to stay and confided in her. She now feels awful for accusing him of thinking badly of her. She looks up at him to see that he was staring at her, waiting for her to answer the question he posed.

"Uh, yeah. I'll be fine. I have your number and I'll call if I need anything, just like I said last week. I will just watch something and take a long, hot bath," she tells him smiling.

"Well, okay. I'll be back in a few hours to grab something to eat. I'll fix you something too. See ya later babe," with that he leaves, locking the door behind him.

Bella sighs and turns on her chair to gaze around the room. She feels as though she is imposing on Edward's kindness. He has done a lot for her, and what has she done for him? Making pancakes is not nearly enough to show how much she appreciates what he has done for her. She decides to clean his apartment. It's not dirty at all, just cluttered. She finds a small box and puts everything he might want to keep in it. She thoroughly cleans his kitchen, scrubbing the floors and wiping down the countertops. She even cleans out the refrigerator and freezer. Bella then moves on to the bathroom. She wipes down the whole room and puts his clothes in the hamper. When she has cleaned every room, she begins the task of putting away her new clothes. Edward was right, he had cleared out about half of his closet for her. She turns to put the remaining clothes in the drawer he emptied out. She stands back, admiring the vast amount of clothes she now has. She doesn't remember when she last had so many. She walks back to the closet and gently runs her hands along the edges of the new clothes.

A feeling of giddiness takes over as she skips to the bathroom to take a soothing bath. She soaks in the large bathtub for quite some time. When she is finished, she wraps up in a fluffy towel and walks back to the bedroom to select an outfit. She stands in front of the closet contemplating. She eventually chooses a white, floral sundress and brown sandals. She then decides to blow dry her hair with Edward's hairdryer and attempts to style it like Alice did. She gives up after a while and just lets her hair do what it wants. Her brown hair tumbles past her shoulders in waves, she decides that it looks good enough as is. Bella looks through the bag that Alice gave her and finds that she put makeup in the bag for her to use as well. There is a tube of mascara, lip gloss, and brown eyeshadow. Bella carefully applies some of each, trying to remember how her mom would put it on when she watched her many years ago. She stops and gazes at her reflection. She looks like a young woman now, not like the filthy wild girl from a few days ago.

She leaves the bathroom happily and decides to watch television. She powers everything on the way Edward has shown her, and she ends up on a cooking channel. She watches how the chef is making fried chicken and mashed potatoes. _That doesn't look so hard, I wonder if Edward has the ingredients_. She inspects his fridge and pantry. She is surprised to find everything she needs to cook the meal. Bella begins to mimic what the chef did on the show and cooks the meal for Edward. When she finishes, she has a feeling of pride for what she has just accomplished. Her meal looks like the chef's from the cooking show. She takes that as a good sign as she sneaks a small bite. She is more than relieved to find that the chicken tastes good as well. Bella places the chicken and potatoes in the oven to keep warm.

Bella remembers the hamper full of dirty clothes and grabs it to run a load of laundry. She sorts the clothes the way her mother had taught her many moons ago. She comes across the Led Zeppelin shirt of Edward's that he let her borrow the day she came. She decides to wash that shirt in a separate, gentle cycle since he cherishes it so much. While the washing machine is running, she returns to the window to gaze out. The young woman was lost in her thoughts for some time when she was suddenly stirred out of her daze by Edward unlocking the door.

Bella turns in the seat to smile at him as he walks toward the kitchen. He stops and smells the air, then a shocked expression graces his face.

"Babe, what smells so good? Did you cook?" he asks surprised.

"Hey, yeah. I found a cooking show on and thought I would give it a try. The food is in the oven, help yourself," she responds back to him from her perch in the window.

Soon, she hears him moaning and mumbling to himself. Her curiosity gets the better of her and she walks to the kitchen. She finds him devouring his plate full of chicken and mashed potatoes. He looks up at her with a goofy face.

"This is sooo good, you didn't tell me you could cook like this!" he exclaims.

"Well, I didn't know that I could," Bella laughs.

He stops eating and looks her up and down. The way he is looking at her causes her to blush.

"Sweetheart, you look beautiful. You clean up really well," he smirks.

"Well, thanks to you. You bought the clothes," she mumbles to him while looking down.

He shakes his head, "No, babe. The clothes are nothing special, you make them extraordinary. You look gorgeous, and you need to learn how to take a compliment."

Bella chuckles at his comment, while desperately trying to think of something else to talk about.

"I hope you don't mind, but I cleaned up the apartment. I cleaned out the fridge and freezer. Oh, and I'm running a load of laundry now."

"Babe, you know you didn't have to do any of that. Please don't feel like you are obligated to earn your keep," he tells her as he wipes his hands and mouth off.

"Oh, I don't. I just wanted to do something for you to show that I appreciate everything you have done for me," she says softly. Edward can tell that she is still uncomfortable, so he attempts to lighten the mood.

"Well, if you keep cooking like this, I'll never want you to leave," he smiles as he goes back to eating. Bella returns the smiles as she leaves him to finish his lunch.

He begins to think of what he just said to her. Edward gets a gnawing feeling in his stomach at the thought of her leaving. She has only been there a couple of days, but the thought of being alone again bothers him. He hates the idea of her not being there. What is he going to do?

* * *

He is has been keeping detailed records of the comings and goings of the people in the building in front of him. He is currently sitting in the café diagonally across from the tattoo parlor. He arrived when the café opened at six this morning. He saw Lucifer and Bella on the roof of the parlor. He watched them sleep in the chairs. He noticed Bella's face as she awakened and the calmness that overcame her as she gazed at the evil being next to her. He continues to observe them through the windows of the man's apartment for the rest of the morning. He longingly looks upon Bella as she sits in the window overlooking the street. She even looks at the café several times but never sees him. This saddens him, he truly believes that she has the same feelings for him as he does her. He loves her and believes she was brought to him by their god. If only he knew what her actual feelings are for him.

He becomes excited when he sees Lucifer enter the front door of the parlor. This must mean that she is alone. He carefully writes down the time in his journal of Lucifer's departure. He then divides his time between looking in the parlor window and the apartment window, both overlooking where he was situated. He determines that he will need several more days to observe the happenings across the street. He doesn't want anything to hinder Bella coming back to him. He makes a list of the supplies that he will need. He writes down rope, duct tape, trash bags, hedge clippers, plastic suit, goggles, gloves, and bleach. He reasons that his plan will come together nicely.

He plans to remain in the café until close, then return home to continue working on his plans and await further instructions from his god. He receives messages from his god once a week. He must be dressed in appropriate clothing and specially cleansed in order to communicate with his lord.

He wasn't always loyal to his god. He was raised in a non-believing home. His father would beat him with anything he could find, while his mother was usually passed out from drinking. He was an only child. He had no friends and was bullied in school by most of the students. Once he graduated high school in Kansas, he moved to Oklahoma. He thought that Oklahoma would be the land of his dreams. While he was working at a data processing company, he was befriended by a loving older woman. She was the mother-figure that he lacked in his youth. He became dependent on their friendship, spending many hours after work in her company. She was the person who first introduced him to Savior Aro Dunnaway. Savior Aro believed that we are here for a divine purpose. He was taught that everyone who listened and obeyed him will be saved when their lord brought destruction to mankind. He turned over all his savings to Savior Aro, who told him that he was a prophet appointed by their god. By funding Savior Aro, he was given a most high honor. He was to find a young girl to groom into becoming responsible, alongside him, for saving salvation. Soon the sect was growing by leaps and bounds. The man was christened as master, Master of Salvation. The girl was to be Mistress of Salvation, together they would be the most powerful beings on earth. He was to keep the girl pure until her twenty-first birthday when god's plan would be enacted. They were to give themselves to each other to save mankind. He was thrilled by this assignment. He promised that he would not disappoint Savior Aro. He searched for three years for his chosen one. He found her on the side of the road one windy, spring day along with her mother. He knew in his bones that she was the one. He knew that she would grow to be a beautiful Mistress under his guidance. Her mother was an impedance to the plan. When he could no longer handle her interference any longer, he was given permission to use the mother as an offering to his god. He did anything he could to prove himself righteous in the sight of Savior Aro. He stayed in contact with the sect daily. The older woman who brought him in was sacrificed when she was unwilling to go along with his god's plan of salvation.

The only information he kept from the sect was that his mistress escaped, just a few short months from her birthday. He knew he had very little time before they found out. They depended on him, and he wasn't about to let them down. Savior Aro, he feared, would christen another man as master and strip him of the title. He has been waiting for over fifteen years to be Master of Salvation. He will not allow Lucifer to ruin his god's plan for Bella and himself. Too much time and preparation have gone into this to have it fail, and to fail all of mankind.


	9. Chapter 9

Edward stays true to his word, even though it is late. He wearily climbs the stairs to his apartment and collects Bella. It was ten o'clock at night when they arrive at the super-store. Bella would have been lying if she said she wasn't excited. She is filled with awe and wonder as they step through the doors of the large establishment. Her mouth is gaping open as she takes in the sight before her. Edward glances at her and begins laughing. He finds it endearing at how the simplest things are so fascinating to her. He wishes he could be as excited about this super-store as she is.

Edward retrieves a shopping cart, grabs Bella's hand and leads her down the first aisle they come to.

"What kind of vegetables and fruit do you like?" he questions. Bella gazes at the assortment around her. She honestly doesn't know what she likes, she was only allowed one kind of fruit, and she doesn't remember what she liked before she was taken.

"I don't really know. The only fruit I was ever given was apples. I had an occasional potato, but mostly I just had lunch meat, eggs, and bread as most of my meals."

Edward is upset by this. He immediately begins bagging up several diverse kinds of fresh fruit and vegetables. He is clueless as to what some of them were, but they can figure it out together. He can't fathom letting her go another day without having an opportunity to try everything that she wants.

"Edward, what's a kumquat?" Bella questions with a confused expression as she reads the sign of the fruit he was placing in a bag.

"I really have no idea, but we will figure it out. We are going to experiment together. Let's try a different food every day. This could be fun, right?" he says to her enthusiastically. Bella shares in his eagerness and begins helping him bag the food.

They stroll down every aisle, grabbing a mixture of junk food and healthy food. Their shopping cart was overflowing with chips, crackers, candy, fruit, vegetables, frozen pizza, soda, popcorn, and upon Edwards insistence, a can of spray cheese.

"Really, spray cheese? It doesn't even sound like it would taste good. It's not even refrigerated. Isn't all cheese supposed to be kept cold? I think you will have to try that on your own," Bella laughs. Edward frowns as he puts it in the cart anyway.

"Don't come begging for some once you see how delicious it is. Oh, we need ice cream. Lots of ice cream!" Edward declares as he rushes toward the frozen aisle. He grabs the cookies and cream flavor, while Bella has a hard time choosing.

"Come on babe, just pick one. If you don't like it, I'll eat it," he smiles while wiggling his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry, I just can't decide. All of them sound good. I think I will pick French vanilla," she decides, quite pleased with herself.

"Vanilla? Ugh, that's so boring! We have to buy some chocolate syrup. Oh, and cherries. Better get some caramel, sprinkles, brownies, Oreos, and nuts. We can make sundaes and eat them for dinner! Who says we have to eat regular food. We can do what we want! This is going to be great, I can't believe I have never done this before!" Edward carries on planning their menu for the next week, which seems to revolve around eating ice cream for every meal.

"Earth to Edward! We need to get some other stuff too. Let's walk over to the shampoo, Alice gave me a sample of some but I'm almost out."

Edward shakes his head and leads her to the toiletry aisle. Bella selects some fruit scented shampoo and grabs some other things she thinks she might need.

"Hey sweetheart, what do you like to do? Like, do you have any hobbies?" he inquires of her gently. Bella stops for a moment and looks at him. He can tell she is trying to think of a way to answer him.

"I like to read, but the books that were given to me weren't complete, and there were very few of them. I always wanted to learn how to draw, like really draw and paint. I thought that would be relaxing. I want to try some movies. I haven't seen any since I was little. Oh, and I want to listen to music," she replies shyly. Edward smiles and tells her to follow him. He takes her to the office supply section. He quickly begins throwing some sketch pads, pencils, crayons, paints, and canvases in the cart before she can object. He then spies some coloring books for adults and puts them in as well. Bella regards him with awe, but before she can say anything he walks off. She hastily catches up with him in the next aisle where the books are located.

"Babe, what would you like to read?" he asks, grinning. She steps past him, putting a hand to her mouth to try to hide her squeal. Bella runs her other hand over the various titles of books in front of her. She picks up a mystery novel, and a romance novel, gazing upon their covers. She then eyes a book of fairy tales. Edward notices this and picks it up as well and puts it in the cart. Bella blushes as he does this.

"I know it's a kid book, but I never got to find out the endings for myself. The book I was given had the end of each story ripped out. My mom told me the endings as best as she could, but I always wanted to read it for myself." Edward's heart aches at this confession. He can't believe that this beautiful, kind woman standing before him could have lived like she did. He is now determined to help make up for her lost years.

"I have a lot of music at home and books as well, probably too much. We can look through those anytime and then see what you like and get more of that kind. As for movies, I don't have very many. Let's go look for something we both would like to watch." She agrees and trails him to the entertainment section next. They ponder over the numerous titles. Edward picks a horror movie, but Bella swiftly rejects his choice. She selects a couple of Disney movies. Edward doesn't seem too thrilled by this but consents to it only because he knows he isn't able to tell her no. He will just have to grin and bear it. He voices to himself that they should be better than sitting through some stuffy, period piece romance movie.

They both stand back and look at their full cart. Edward turns to Bella, observing her. She is so happy and carefree. She is delighted over the most unpretentious things. This makes him pleased and full of pride, in that he can help her feel this way. He then motions for her to join him to check out by offering his hand to her again. She accepts it without reluctance, unlike the previous times he has offered. He grins at her and continues walking.

They arrive back at the apartment well after midnight. Edward is busy bringing up the bags of groceries while Bella is putting the items away. When Edward is finished with the last load he closes and locks the door. Bella is still putting the food in the fridge when she hears some music coming from the living room. As she turns to investigate further, she is met at the doorway by Edward. He is singing along with the upbeat song playing and grabs her hands and twirls her around. This catches Bella off guard, she laughs out loud nonetheless. The song changes to one with a slower beat. Edward then wraps his arm around her waist and brings one of her hands to rest on his upper arm and takes her other hand in his. He then begins to slowly dance with her. She blushes and steps on his feet, apologizing constantly. He quiets her and smiles down at her. When the song ends, he steps back, bows, and thanks her for the dance. She laughs again and claps for him.

"What song was that? I liked it," Bella questions.

"That my dear was off one of my mom's CDs from the eighties. I have no idea what the song is, but I like it," he laughs. Bella notices that he has been laughing a lot this evening. She joins him, and they both chuckle. They know they are finding things funny due to their fatigue, but they don't care. He helps her put the remainder of the groceries away, and they continue to dance around the apartment while doing so. Edward tells her that they can play the music as loud as they want because they don't have any neighbors. The buildings that surround his are vacant right now. With this, Bella walks to the stereo and turns the volume up higher.

"Sweetheart, I think the time has come for you to be formally introduced to the greatest band to grace the world. Get ready to be completely amazed." Bella snickers at him and waits patiently while Edward changes the music. He turns to her with a wide smile as the stereo comes to life again. The music seems very familiar to her. She stops giggling and listens intently. Bella strides over to the stereo and starts changing the songs, searching for one she has a feeling is there. Edward stands beside her, looking curiously at her.

"I know this, my mom used to dance with me to these songs when I was younger. I know there is one, it was with these songs. I'll know it when I hear it. It was her favorite . . ." She stops as the next song's melody begins to fill the apartment. She starts smiling and jumping up and down.

"This is it! Edward! This was my mom's favorite song! We would sing and dance to it all the time. She was always playing it! I can't believe you have it!" she yells excitedly. Edward smiles because he knows this song well.

"This isn't even one of their most popular songs. I can't believe your mom was a Zeppelin fan. Well, you come from good stock," he laughs as "D'yer Mak'er" plays through the speakers. He takes her hand and begins twirling her again while singing along. This time she joins him, the words coming back to her. When the song ends, she sits down on the floor with silent tears running down her face.

"Hey babe, why the long face?" She looks up at him and smiles.

"I didn't think I would ever hear that song again. A lot of memories just came rushing back. Thank you, Edward. Thank you for everything." She crawls over to him and embraces him tightly, which he returns eagerly.

"Don't thank me, babe. I'm glad you're happy, and I'm glad that your mom was a Zeppelin fan. Guess I put you in the right shirt that first night after all," he chuckles into her hair while still holding her. She laughs once more, and they stay in that position for quite some time.


	10. Chapter 10

Today marks two weeks since Bella came. She still hasn't talked to Edward about him, but she is coming out of her shell more and more. For the last week, she has been cooking for Edward at her own insistence, reading, watching movies, and drawing. She is becoming more contented with each passing day. Together every day they have tried a different food. The can of spray cheese that Edward had fought for was a disaster. Neither liked it, Edward could barely swallow it. Bella laughed over his reaction to it for a long time. They both decided that kumquats were good, as were many of the other fruits that they had bought. Edward still hasn't warmed up to the idea of liking any vegetable but suffers through the tastings for Bella who enjoys all of them. Ice cream sundaes are their favorite, so they made Sunday their official sundae day.

She has decided that she will come to work with him today. Bella is getting tired of the apartment and would like a change of scenery. Edward tells her that he will come back to get her after he opens the parlor.

The employees of Blacked Out Ink begin trickling in while he's getting things ready. When everyone is settled, he calls for them to join him for an impromptu meeting. He wants to go over some ground rules regarding Bella.

"Okay guys, my friend Bella is going to come to work with me today-," abruptly Edward is interrupted with whistles and cat calls.

"Shut it. You all need to be on your best behavior. No swearing, no hitting on her. She's very innocent, I'd like her to stay that way. If you make her feel uncomfortable, you answer to me. Got it?" He looks around the space observing everyone. "Good. I'm going to get her now. Remember what I said," as he points to each of them, then turns to walk out the door.

With any luck that will work, he hopes. The only person he worries about is James. That man literally has no respect for women, he sees them as a means to pad his bank account.

While Edward is walking up to get Bella, he is already thinking of ways to chastise anyone who messes with her. He is so deep in thought that he doesn't realize that he is standing in front of Bella already.

"Edward, hey are you okay?" Bella asks concerned.

"What? Oh yeah, sorry just lost in thought I guess," he chuckles. "Are you ready? You know you don't have to go."

"I really want to get out of the apartment. There are only so many Disney movies you can watch in a week! Besides, I need to get used to being around people, and you'll be with me in case anything happens. Oh, do I look okay? Sorry, I don't know what to wear to a tattoo parlor." Edward takes in her appearance, as she nervously rambles, from head to feet. She is wearing black jeans with a red and black striped shirt, and black flats. Her hair is half up, with the bottom layer tumbling down in soft waves. She has minimal make-up on, which of course she doesn't need to wear, but it accentuates her beauty.

"You look stunning as always. You know I will be with you, don't worry about that. If anyone makes you feel uneasy, let me know. Now come on, my first appointment should be here any minute," he tells her as he grabs her hand, entwines their fingers together, and leads her through the door. He locks up and walks her downstairs. She takes a deep breath as he opens the door to the parlor. Edward looks over at her and squeezes her hand in reassurance.

"Guys, this is Bella. You already know the red-haired buffoon Emmett."

"Sup Bambi," Emmett smirks to Bella.

"Hey Ginger," Bella quickly replies with a grin. Edward laughs as he realizes that she may be able to hold her own, with Emmett at least. Bella leans over to whisper in Edward's ear.

"I saw that on a show yesterday," she chuckles.

Edward continues down the line of employees. "This here is Rosalie, if you need something and I'm busy, you can ask her." Rosalie genuinely smiles towards Bella, which she gladly returns.

Before Edward can introduce James, he takes the honor upon himself. "Well hello, sugar, where has Edward been hiding you? I think he has been greedy not sharing you with us. You and I are going to get along just fine."

Edward quickly stops him. "Lay off James, just back away and leave her be." James smiles at Bella again, while she tries to look anyplace but at him. Edward moves on quickly to the next person to introduce.

"Here is our only lady artist, Angela." Angela comes up and speaks to Bella.

"Hey there, Alice has told me a lot about you. Can't wait to get to know you better," she says honestly.

"Yeah, I would like that," Bella replies smiling and looking thankful.

"Last but not least is our newest addition, Garrett." Garrett nods his head and goes back to whatever he was doing. Bella gives a look of confusion to Edward, but he shrugs his shoulders and smiles.

Bella elects to sit in the waiting area on one of the couches and watches people for a while. She has a bag with her of pencils and her sketch pad. She takes the items out and begins to draw, fully immersing herself in it.

Edward's appointments arrive on time, distracting him from worrying about her. When he looks up, he finds James sitting closely to Bella while she is hugging the arm of the couch trying to create some distance. As James makes a move to put his hand on her leg, Edward jumps up and calls for her to join him. She eagerly accepts, moving swiftly to his side.

"Thank you" she mouths silently to him. He smiles then turns his attention back to James. He looks at Edward like he has punched him in the face while walking dejectedly back to his booth. He's fortunate Edward is with a client or there would have been words, many unpleasant words.

Bella watches Edward work in complete awe. She loves how he can work with so much color and make it look lifelike. He becomes engrossed in his work, only concentrating on what is in front of him. He doesn't speak to the people while he works, Emmett does that for him. She now realizes why everyone wants him to do their tattoos, he's a wonderful artist.

Rosalie walks an older gentleman over to Edward's booth for his appointment. He asks that Edward tattoo his wife's name on his left ring finger. Bella likes him immediately, due to the soft, caring nature about him. She smiles at him and asks a question.

"Why do you want your wife's name on your finger? Why not over your heart?"

The older man looks amused by her question. Edward doesn't know how this man will react, it could go one of two directions. He could curse at her and tell her to mind her own business, or he could politely answer the question. The man ponders for a moment then answers.

"My lovely wife, Isabella, passed away last year. Last month I somehow misplaced my wedding ring. I had that ring for forty years, then lost it. I was so mad at myself. I don't want to buy another ring because she is not here to help me pick one out. I know that I will never marry again, I'm too old and no one else could ever make me happy like she did. I thought that having her name tattooed on my ring finger was the perfect way to keep her with me forever, and I can't lose a tattoo," he replies as he winks at her. Bella is delighted with his answer, smiling widely at the kind man.

"Oh Sir, that is perfect! You will be very happy with your tattoo, I'm sure of it. Edward is the best."

"That is what I've heard my dear. Now tell me, what is a young, pretty girl doing in a tattoo parlor?"

Bella blushes looking over at Edward. He has been sitting back watching the conversation between the two.

"Well, I've been cooped up in my apartment for a while, and I thought it would be nice to come down here and watch my friend work," she answers shyly.

"That is as good a reason for something as I've ever heard. I'm Joshua, what's your name dear?"

"I'm Bella, nice to meet you, Mr. Joshua," she replies extending her hand.

"Pleasure is all mine, Miss Bella. I might have to come back for more tattoos if I get to have a nice conversation with a polite young lady again," he laughs, and Bella joins him. During the time it takes Edward to finish Joshua's tattoo, he and Bella have talked animatedly about his children and grandchildren. He is all too happy to tell her all about his Isabella also, and their marriage. Edward can tell Bella is enjoying herself as she talks with the man. Soon they say their goodbyes, both telling the other that they will keep in touch.

"Well, I think you just made a new friend babe," Edward smiles.

Bella smiles back and nods her head in agreement, then pulls out her sketchbook. Edward looks over her shoulder at the book. He is taken aback by what she has been working on. It is a beautiful landscape of lush green grass that surrounds a pristine lake. There are wildflowers scattered throughout along with many plush trees. The sky is a perfect shade of blue with thin wisps of white clouds. The sun is shining down onto the lake and illuminating everything else in the picture.

"Babe, this is awesome. You didn't tell me you were this good!"

"That's because I don't think I am. I just draw what I dream about. This is what I wished for when I was in the bunker. I just wanted to be outside with the sun shining on me and to feel nature all around," she softly tells him.

"This must be put on display. Hey guys, come look at Bella's drawing, you won't believe how good it is."

The group begins to file over to admire her work while she reddens and looks down at her feet, worried about their response. Much to her surprise, they all comment on how wonderful it is. She soon looks up and smiles at everyone, happy that she has made something that they like.

"Yo Emmett, can you go out at lunch and pick up a frame? We should hang this up. I like it too much to share though, do you mind if I hang it up in my office?"

Bella looks at Edward in shock.

"No, I don't mind. But you really don't have to do that."

"I want to do it, I love it," he tells her smiling. Bella is starting to feel like she belongs to this group of misfits. She is already feeling like she is a part of this close-knit family, it makes her heart happy.

Bella drifts between observing Edward, Emmett, and Angela until lunch. She excuses herself to go back upstairs, Edward tells her that he will be up in about an hour.

"Gotta hand it to you bro, Bambi is pretty awesome. Who would have thought that someone like that would be interested in you? What's with the 'Babe' pet name thing? You've never called any female that before. Is it your special name for her?" Emmett laughs.

"What do you mean? What's so wrong with me?" Edward asks defensively. "We're just friends anyway. In case you haven't realized, I call a lot of women 'Babe', you just don't pay attention."

"Keep telling yourself that boss, but I think you have the hots for her," Angela interjects.

 _Great, now everyone has an opinion on what's going on_ , Edward thinks to himself.

Rosalie adds, "Well, she could do worse. Hey Angela, we need to text Alice and have a girls' night with Bella. Hurry, text her now!"

"Do you really think that's a good idea, I mean, she's so innocent," Edward says.

"You will have to cut the cord sooner or later, dad," Rosalie laughs.

"Haha. Just keep in mind that she has not been out like you guys or had any of your experiences. Now is not the time to bombard her with them to get her caught up, or whatever," Edward says nervously.

"Man, you have it bad. You do realize this, right?" Emmett questions.

"Whatever, you're full of it. Get back to work. I'm going to get something to eat. Be back in a minute."

With that Edward takes his leave as his mind is running through what Emmett said. _I'm not falling for her. How could I be after just two weeks? I don't even really know anything about her. She doesn't know much about herself_. Edward is in the kitchen now, and he realizes that Bella has made them lunch.

"Dig in, hope you like grilled cheese," she said as she plates the sandwiches.

"What's not to like?"

They eat in silence. Edward is still fixed on his thoughts about what was just said in the parlor. He turns to Bella and looks at her, really looks at her. She looks content and happy. There is just a dim trace of worry left on her flawless face. She senses that he is looking at her, she turns and smiles at him.

"I really like your friends, except for James, is it? He gives me the creeps. Please don't leave me alone with him."

"Don't worry darlin', that will never happen if I have anything to say about it. He gives me the creeps too."

She and Edward laugh at this as they finish their lunch. He helps her clean up and asks if she's coming back with him. She grabs her sketchbook and pencils and follows him out the door.

When they get back to the parlor, they walk over to his office. Rosalie and Angela rush over to Bella.

"Girl, you are coming out with us and Alice tonight. You can't say no! It will be fun and a chance for all of us to get to know each other better. Come on, what do you say? We will help you get ready and everything."

Bella looks at him anxiously. He smiles at her and says, "It's entirely up to you babe. Alice will be there, she'll watch out for you."

Bella looks back at Rosalie and Angela, "Okay, I'll do it."

Right then, at that moment, a sense of dread comes over Edward.

He has been watching his mistress and Lucifer for a week now. He is disgusted that they seem to have fallen into a routine now. Every day starts the same. He watches as she opens the black curtains at seven and gazes out the window for a while. She then leaves her perch and opens the blue curtains in another room. She is always wearing the same yellow nightshirt. He knows that Lucifer picked this out, to call attention to her body. He has prayed to his god every night that Lucifer hasn't defiled her yet.

After the curtains have opened, he watches as she dances around the rooms of the apartment. _How dare she dance, it's sinful_ he says to himself. What makes it even worse is that she dances in front of Lucifer, and even with him. Lucifer has convinced her that she likes to do this. He knows that his mistress would never willingly do that on her own, she must surely be brainwashed. Every day Lucifer leaves to go to his nefarious place of business in the mid-morning. That beast leaves his mistress alone, where anything could happen to her. Anyone could take her, but he is watching out for her.

He is still protecting her from evil. He is still carrying out his god's plan, just from afar.

The beast returns to make sure she hasn't escaped around lunchtime each day. Lucifer even expects his precious mistress to cook and clean for him as well. How dare he do this to her! He has even forced her to go shopping with him. That beast has made her eat unclean foods too. He saw their shopping cart that day, and even worse, he kept her out very late. It seemed to him that Lucifer wanted only atrocious things to happen to her. He was there, lurking in the shadows to make sure she was safe. He has been watching non-stop to continue to protect her. Lucifer comes back in the late evenings and keeps her awake for most of the night, waiting on him hand and foot. He knows he must formulate his plan quickly.

 _I only have about three months to get my mistress back. I must make my move to capture her soon so that I can cleanse her thoroughly of the beast_.

He is shaken out of his thoughts as he sees Lucifer holding Bella's hand, leading her into the tattoo parlor. _How dare he touch my mistress. He is taking her to that atrocious place of pure sin. That place and the vile people who enter it will surely stain her. This is getting more serious. I must put my plan into action sooner than I had anticipated. No one from the sect can find out that she is not under my control currently. Savior Aro will remove me and strip me of my role._

He frantically begins going over his plan to capture Bella. He knows this must happen within the next week to ensure she completes the ritualistic cleansing before his god's plan of salvation takes place. The cleansing will have to be very extensive. His mistress must be cleansed of the filth that Lucifer has exposed her to. He must rid her mind of the music and other forms of entertainment she has listened to and watched. He must purify her body of the foods she has ingested. His god will not allow her to become mistress if she is unclean. He has spent too much time and energy grooming her for this prestigious honor, he will not let Lucifer spoil the plan.

He must also put his plan into motion for ridding the world of Lucifer and the freak. His god will most definitely approve of this. He knows that he will be greatly honored by his god for eradicating these two creatures from existence.

 _One week. I must complete these missions in one week. Hold on my mistress, I'm coming to save you and mankind. Just hold on my precious mistress, we will be together again soon_.


	11. Chapter 11

_**The character names belong to S. Meyer, everything else is mine. bhahahhahahahhah (sorry, long week!)**_

 ** _Thank you to all who have left comments and reviews thus far, they mean the world to me! You make my heart happy! Please continue to leave comments, reviews and remember to follow and favorite my story!_**

When it's time for the parlor to close for the night, Rosalie and Angela rush Bella upstairs to get quickly jumps in the shower while they set about choosing an outfit for her to wear. She steps out of the bathroom wrapped only in a towel with her hair dripping wet just as Edward walks through the door to the living room. Bella stands frozen staring at him with wide eyes and red cheeks. His mouth is gaping open and is unable to move from his current position.

Angela comes down the hall and witnesses the awkward exchange. She laughs, "Come on Bambi, let's get you glammed up." She tugs Bella's arm and leads her to the bedroom. Edward calls out after them, "Don't make her look trashy." The girls laugh while closing the door.

They throw a red dress at Bella that hugs her chest then flares out to her knees. They have also selected a pair of black heels for her to wear.

She hesitates, "Are you sure about this?"

Angela and Rosalie answer at the same time, "Yes, put it on!"

Bella steps to the closet, pulls the dress over her head and slips the shoes on. When she comes out, they are smiling at her in approval.

"What should we do with her hair? I think we should straighten it. What do you think Angela?" asks Rosalie.

Angela looks up from the makeup she is setting out and agrees.

They force Bella to sit in a chair they brought in from the kitchen table and begin primping her. Rosalie gently runs a brush through her hair while blow drying it as Angela begins applying makeup. Bella becomes preoccupied with watching them work on her transformation. They move naturally in sync with each other as they take turns with Bella's hair and makeup. In no time, they announce that they have finished. Bella snaps out of her daydream, gazing at her reflection. Her hair is straight and shiny. Her complexion is evened out, purple and brown eyeshadow has been applied to her lids along with eyeliner and mascara. They have swept a faint amount of blush to her cheeks. The final touch is the red lipstick on her full lips.

"Wow, I can't believe that is me! You guys worked a miracle here," Bella laughs in awe.

"We didn't have much to improve, we just amped up your beauty," Rosalie grins.

"Let's go show dad to see if he approves," Angela laughs while rolling her eyes.

Bella trails Rosalie and Angela out of the bedroom to find Edward, who is sitting at his desk glancing through his mail. He looks up, his eyes fix on her. His face is void of any emotion, the mail in his hand forgotten. His dark, brown eyes look her up and down, assessing every detail from Bella's hair to her heels. Her face turns crimson under his inspection. Rosalie breaks the silence, "Well, what do you think? Stunning, right?"

Edward coughs, "Yeah, you look great babe. Call me if you need me." With that, he stands and walks away. Bella is left awkwardly with the girls, feeling out of sorts. She wonders why he acted that way. Rosalie and Angela look at each other and shrug their shoulders.

"Okay, well come on. Alice is waiting for us," Angela declares. Bella grabs her small handbag and notices a twenty-dollar bill hanging out of it. Edward must have slipped her the bill. Now she's just confused. How can he act like he doesn't care, while encouraging her to go at the same time? She tries to not let Edward's attitude worry her tonight. It's her first time out with friends, and she doesn't want anything to ruin it.

The trio leaves the apartment and walks down the driveway to Angela's red, two-door sedan. "Where are we going?" Bella questions. Angela answers that they are going to meet up where Alice's boyfriend Jasper works. The girls drive for a few minutes listening to the radio then arrive at Aces Wild _,_ a popular pool building looks ancient, with disintegrating bricks along the outer walls. There is a line of people waiting to go in and a burly man outside the door. Bella begins to walk over to get in line when Rosalie calls for her.

"Where are you going? We don't wait in line, honey. We are VIPs here," beckoning for Bella to follow them. The man at the door nods his head at them, then opens it. The music tumbles out of the door as well as cigarette smoke. Bella gasps, looking around at the large crowd. There is a vast room to the left that houses several pool tables. To the right, there is an extensive bar area where the rest of the crowd is.

"Come on, I see Alice over there," Angela hollers over the noise to the girls. Bella looks to where Angela is pointing and sees purple hair bobbing up and down. They maneuver through the crowd to her and Alice grabs Bella in a tight embrace.

"Girl, you look great! I knew that dress was legit, what did I tell ya? You are turning a lot of heads in here," she says as she turns her head toward a group of guys that look to be around Bella's age.

"No, they can't be looking at me. They must be looking at somebody else," Bella tells her bashfully. "Hey doesn't your boyfriend work here?"

"Oh yes! You haven't met him yet. Come with me." Bella follows her to the bar, as Alice begins yelling loudly at the man behind the counter.

"Jasper. Jasper Whitlock get your cute self over here now!" The man turns toward her and begins to walk over swiftly.

"Yeah babe, what do you need? We are getting slammed tonight." He looks over at Bella and realization hits. "Oh, are you Edward's girl, Bella? I've heard good things. I really would like to talk, maybe we could another time though," he says to her as he hurries back to the other side of the bar.

Bella turns to look at Alice, who is slyly grinning at her. "He's handsome Alice, but what is this Edward's girl stuff? You know we are just friends." She shrugs her shoulders then says, "for now," and laughs. "Do you want a drink?" Rosalie asks as she turns toward the bar.

"I'll have water, thanks." She gives Bella a puzzling look, "Bella, I mean do you want a beer or something?"

"I don't believe in drinking alcohol. I'll just take a water please." She nods her head without questioning further and walks to the bar with Alice and Angela to place their order. Bella is left standing beside one of the pool tables being used, where she is amazed at what some of these people are wearing. Suddenly, someone grabs her from behind.

"Hey, gorgeous. What are you doing here? Looking for me, perhaps?" a man whispers in her ear.

She is paralyzed with fear. The girls don't realize what's going on and it's far too loud in here for them to hear her. Bella slowly turns her head to see James smirking at her.

"James, please don't do that to me. I don't like being grabbed or snuck up on," she furiously tells him.

"Now sugar pie, you know I didn't mean anything by it. Did Edward finally let you out to have some fun? I think he is trying to keep you all to himself. I guess he wasn't taught to share," he says as he strokes her arm, leaning in closer to her face. She's backed up to a wall, he has her caged in with his arms. He reaches over to the table beside them and grabs an orange drink.

"I ordered this for you baby. I noticed that you didn't have anything to drink. Here try this," he tells her as he hands her the drink. Bella eyes it suspiciously. He grins at Bella, which repulses her.

"Baby, it's just orange juice. You can trust me, Edward does," he croons in her ear. Bella tentatively takes a drink. It's much stronger than the orange juice that she's used to and rather bitter. She chokes on it and hands it backs to him.

"Thanks anyway for the drink James. I think I'm going to stick with water. I need to find the girls," she tells him as she turns to walk away.

He grabs her arm, pulling her back to him. Bella is now struggling against him. "Sugar pie, don't fight this. I know you can't resist me forever. No one has to know. No one needs to know about us. It can be our little secret, doesn't that sound like fun?" he breathes in her ear.

Bella begins to fight him off as he begins to forcibly lead her toward the door. She pleads with him to let her go, that she won't tell anyone if he will just stop. She is in tears as he grows angrier and rougher with her. He then turns around, frustrated with the trouble she is causing him and slaps her hard across the face with the back of his open hand. From out of nowhere, James gets slammed into the wall and releases his hold of her causing her to fall to the floor. Bella scampers over to Alice who is rushing to her. Angela and Rosalie are right behind her, as is Jasper. Alice helps her up from the floor as the others form a wall around her.

"Bella, Bella look at me. Are you okay? Did he hurt you? Did he make you drink anything?" they all ask her at once.

The room begins to spin and the last thing she remembers is Edward's concerned face looking at her.

* * *

Edward is pacing back and for in his living room. He is sure that he has made a rut in the carpet by now. _How could I have let her go anywhere without me? What if something happens, will the girls be able to protect her?_ He pulls at his hair and curses. His phone begins to vibrate in his pocket. He pulls it out to see it is Alice calling, which makes him anxious.

"Alice, what's wrong?"

"Edward, come to the pool hall now. James is here, and he has Bella pinned. I can't get to Jasper to help us since this place is so-" Edward doesn't allow her to finish the sentence before he hangs up as he rushes out the door. He jumps into his truck and peels out of the driveway. He is driving like a madman through the streets to the pool hall. He is so worried that something has happened to her. Edward knows what kind of guy James is, and he knows what he has the potential to do. Edward should have known that James would show up where she was. Once James grasped that Edward was serious about him staying away from Bella, it became a challenge. A game that James planned to win at all costs.

When Edward reaches the pool hall, he parks on the sidewalk, not caring about rules at this point. The bouncer sees him and lets him in. Edward scans the entire room for Bella. His eyes land on James trying to drag her out on the opposite side of the room to where he is at. Bella was fighting, kicking, and hitting him the whole way. Edward runs between the pool tables, crashing into everyone playing but not even noticing. After what feels like an eternity, he reaches them just as James slaps Bella across the face. Edward sees red and forcefully heaves James off her, throwing him against the wall.

Edward is so infuriated that he forgets about Bella and lunges onto James. The blonde is caught by surprise and doesn't have time to defend himself. Edward rears his fist back and makes a connection with James's face, repeatedly. They both fall over, Edward is now straddling James while continuing to issue blow after blow. James's face is a bloody mess, both eyes swollen shut and he has missing teeth. Edward notices that the man beneath him has stopped trying to fight back. Edward halts his punches when he realizes that he has knocked him out. Quickly, Jasper pulls Edward off James. Edward stands staring at the body on the floor, assessing the damage he has caused him. Edward is panting from the exertion and trembling from the adrenaline.

It finally dawns on Edward to check on Bella. He looks over to Alice, Angela, and Rosalie and sees that they are surrounding Bella as she lies on the floor. He begins to panic at the sight and rushes over to her.

"Is she ok? What did he do to her?" He asks hysterically.

Alice answers, "He forced her to drink something, she took a sip, tried to get away from him and then he started-". She stops, trying to not cry.

"How could you have let this happen? I trusted you guys and look what happened. I should have been here, better yet, I shouldn't have let her come in the first place," Edward says bitterly.

Jasper steps in trying to comfort Alice. He looks over at Edward, "Edward, it's no one's fault but James's. As soon as Alice saw him, she called you. She and the girls tried to get help, but the place is too crowded, they couldn't get through."

Edward looks at him, then back over to Alice. "I'm sorry, Alice. I know it's not anyone's fault but his," he says as he looks disdainfully at James.

Bella starts to stir and Edward rushes to her side, pushing past Angela and Rosalie. Her eyes flutter open, trying to focus. "Hey, you're okay now. I'm here. He won't touch you again. I'm so sorry I wasn't here to protect you."

"Edward, you're here now, that's all that matters. Can we leave now? My head really hurts."

He laughs, shakes his head, and gently lifts her off the floor. He carries her bridal style out to his truck. The girls are next to him, desperately apologizing to Bella and clearing up what happened. She quiets them down by saying that she will be okay and still wants to do stuff with them, but just not at the pool hall ever again.

Edward softly places her in the truck then buckles her in. When they are on the road she looks at him and then at his hands. "Edward, your hands! You're hurt!"

He looks down at his hands on the steering wheel, seeing that they are bloody, but not with his blood. "Babe, I'm okay, it's not my blood. James's face had several run-ins with my fist," he tells her, satisfied with himself.

"My mom told me that violence is never the answer, but I'm glad you knocked him out," she says sheepishly. He laughs as she joins in. They head back to the apartment where they promptly fall asleep, ready to put the day behind them.

* * *

The next morning, they wake up relatively Bella still has a headache from the previous night, Edward suggests that they go out for breakfast. They walk to the little cafe across the street from his apartment. After entering and being seated, Edward leaves Bella for a moment to wash his hands. When he returns, he finds her pouring over the menu.

"You can order anything you want. What sounds good to you?" he questions.

"Everything looks good, what are you going to order?"

"I always get the same thing here. Pancakes, bacon, and coffee. Can't go wrong with that," he tells her smiling.

"That sounds good, I'll have the same."

A new waitress comes over, one that Edward has never seen there before.

"What can I get for you? Me perhaps?" she giggles. Edward looks at her for a moment, realizing that she is attempting to flirt with him. He looks over at Bella. She looks stunned, then dejected.

"I'll have pancakes, bacon, and coffee, and so will my very lovely date," he says to the waitress as he gazes across the table then grabs Bella's hand. The waitress looks over at Bella and her smile disappears. Bella innocently grins back at her.

"Yeah, well, I'll have that out in a little while," she retorts before she huffs off.

Bella is still watching the waitress, then she turns to Edward. "Can you believe she said that to you? She is very brave, and kind of dumb. What if you were really on a date or something. That's so rude!" she tells him, exasperated.

He laughs, "I can't believe that she thinks she has a chance, I mean look at the beauty seated in front of me. Like I would ditch you for her!" he scoffs.

Bella looks down and realizes that they were still holding hands. She hurriedly releases his then folds her hands in her lap while blushing fiercely. _She looks so pretty when she does that. Wait, what am I thinking?_ Edward thinks as the waitress returns with their drinks.

The food finally arrives and the perturbed waitress slams both of their plates down in front of them. When she leaves, they burst out in laughter.

He finds himself gazing at Bella throughout most of the meal. They talk and laugh like they have known each other for years. She tells him that she thinks she may have an addiction to the cooking channel, he tells her that he may have an addiction to her cooking. This revelation delights her, he enjoys the smile he gets from her. Edward also discovers that she enjoys singing but has never sung in front of anyone. She only sings when he is gone to the parlor during the day. Edward mentions that he also enjoys singing and has a guitar he can crudely play. He jokingly suggests that they can form their own band, to which she laughs.

"Maybe. Maybe in your dreams!" she tells Edward, which surprises him. Bella is finally comfortable enough to joke around with him. Since she is in a joking mood, he decides to spread his wings and teach her the cleanest jokes he can think of. Knock knock jokes.

Edward starts, "Knock, Knock."

"Oh, um, who's there?" she giggles.

"Nunya," he tells her as seriously as he can.

She looks puzzled, "Nunya who?"

Edward leans forward while glancing right and left as if he's about to tell her something of the utmost importance. She leans toward him, waiting for his answer. "Nunya business," he whispers as he leans back, waiting for her response.

She starts laughing while holding her stomach. It was a petty joke, but she loved it. The sound of her laughter is literally like music to his ears. The smile on her face is always on his mind and the way she blushes makes his stomach feel funny. Just the thought of her makes his heart beat faster. _Oh, no, I think I may have feelings starting for her, but I am going to ignore them, for now. Besides, I have something to take my mind off my feelings for Bella. I have to deal with James today._ Edward thinks to himself as he finishes his breakfast while sitting across from the beauty that is quietly stealing his heart.

He sits yet again in the café across from Lucifer's apartment this morning, like all the other mornings since he has found her. He is sickened that the beast allowed his mistress to be paraded by his vile fallen angels in that heinous place the night before. She was dressed most sinfully. Wearing red? How dare she wear something so immodest! Just because the dress she had on didn't show any of her unmentionables, the color itself was most inappropriate. Red? The color of sin, the color of the beast, of Lucifer. How could she agree to such a thing? Of course, how could he think otherwise? Lucifer made her wear it, then he didn't even protect her from the repugnant humans that were in that place. His mistress wouldn't willfully do such disgusting things. She was pure and good, it was the beast that was to blame.

He had watched as several men undressed her with their eyes. He knew they were thinking repulsive thoughts about his mistress. That alone almost drove him mad. Then when he couldn't stand it any longer, another vile beast tried to violate her. Violate her right in front of him, on purpose. That blonde beast must be working with Lucifer. _I wish I could have seen his face, I would take care of him for good_. Lucifer is now having his secondary demons begin to try to destroy her also.

Savior Aro warned the sect about such situations. He taught them that Lucifer would send many demons to make sure that their god's plan didn't succeed. Savior Aro told the sect that they must do everything and anything they could to protect the plan. He knows he must now destroy all of the secondary demons that are coming after his mistress as well. This complicates his mission greatly.

As he is drinking his coffee, the door chimes and he turns his head toward the sound. There, right in front of him is his mistress with the beast. If only he was prepared for this moment. He could finally free her from his grasp. He carefully pulls his paper in front of his face to shield himself. They were seated a few tables behind him, and his mistress's back was toward him. He has gone unnoticed by her and the beast. He feels very fortunate when he realizes that he can overhear their conversation easily from where he is sitting.

It drives him crazy with rage to hear the beast make her laugh _. How can she sit there, across from him and entertain him? She is falling into his trap further. Not his precious mistress. It even appears that she may have feelings for Lucifer. How could he cleanse her completely if she loves the beast?_

He continues to stay where he is without drawing attention to himself. Whenever the waitress walks over to offer a refill he quickly waves her off. He is too busy listening to the beast converse with his mistress. He learns that the beast is trying to buy her affections. _That is how he is controlling her, with money. Did I not teach her anything? Money is the root of all evil, of course, Lucifer would use that on her. How could she fall for his tricks?_

He is thoroughly disgusted by her blatantly disgraceful behavior. How can his mistress act so wantonly? Her laughter is making him ill, and obviously, those around her too. He takes note of how the waitress has been acting since Bella arrived. Her mood went from cheerful to angry. This is the effect Lucifer has on people. He takes the light away and replaces it with darkness. This is why he must capture Bella quickly. _Just think of how greatly his god will reward him if he successfully carries out his god's plan for salvation and also eradicates the world of Lucifer and his demons! He will surely be elevated to sit at his god's right hand for eternity with his mistress by his side._

He smiles to himself as he ponders over what his reward will be. He soon forgets about the happy, young couple behind him. His head is full of the adoration and worship he will receive from the world, once he is declared Master of Salvation.


	12. Chapter 12

**_Character names belong to S. Meyer. Situations and story line are all mine..._**

 ** _Thank you so much for the follows, favorites and comments! You make my heart happy! Enjoy!_**

When they get back to Edward's apartment, Bella immediately goes to the bathroom to take a wants to wash the previous night away. Unfortunately, she can't wash away the memories of James. She can still feel his breath on her face. His words are engraved in her head. She stays in the shower for a long time, letting the water beat down on her. She finally shuts off the faucet and gets dressed. Bella doesn't notice Edward on the couch when she comes out from the bathroom attempting to comb out her hair. She is fussing to herself over the snarls she is fighting when she hears him chuckle.

"Here, let me help you," he says as he reaches out for the comb. Bella gives him a puzzling look. "One of my best friends does hair remember? Who do you think she had help her through school?" he laughs. She laughs along with him and places the comb in his hand.

With Edward sitting on the couch, Bella takes a seat on the floor in front of him between his legs. He leans forward and begins combing her hair gently. Bella closes her eyes, relaxing under the repetitive movement. The comforting feeling makes Bella think of her mom. She would comb out the young girl's hair every night before she was taken away from Bella. That was one of the only things Bella could enjoy while being in the dungeon.

"Penny for your thoughts," Edward softly whispers to her.

She turns her head to him and smiles. "I was just enjoying this, thank you."

"Anytime darlin'. Look, I'm sorry about James. I can promise you will never have to see him again. If he has the balls to show up for work today I'm going to fire his," he coughs while looking her in the eye, "rear."

She smiles back, realizing that he has really been trying not to swear anymore because it offends her. She notes that the group downstairs are trying too. It warms her heart to know that they respect her enough to change their way of speaking for her.

"Edward, you don't have to do that. Although, I don't want to be anywhere near him at all! I knew he gave me a creepy feeling for a reason."

He chuckles at this and nods his head. "Yeah, you called it. Rosalie will be upset if he goes, she's hung up on him for some reason. She'll be ok though, she'll just move on to someone else."

"So, she dates a lot of guys? Does everyone downstairs date a lot of different people?" she questions curiously.

"Yeah, they do. I think they don't want to be tied down to anyone just yet, or they haven't found anyone they really get along with. I used to be like that too. Date a lot of different women and not form any attachments. I didn't want to be tied down to one person. I didn't, well still don't, entirely believe in love. How can you feel so strongly about one person? I still don't get it," he tells her as he shakes his head. She looks sadly at him.

"How can you possibly think that? Everyone deserves love and needs to give love! There is so much love all around, just open your eyes and heart to it. You can see it everywhere. It's not lust, it's a deep commitment to someone. It's being there for them no matter what, risking your safety for them. Making sure they are taken care of before yourself. Some people choose not to let themselves open up and accept it. I feel sorry for them. Although I have been through a lot, I know there is someone just for me," she tells him while looking in his brown eyes. Bella can tell that he's still not convinced.

"Look, I know you don't really believe me, but God loves us. He loves you, and me, and everyone else. He loves us so much that He made this world for us and sent His only son to die for us so that we could continue to love. That's what I'm going by. I must have love in me to make it day by day. I have the love of Christ in me, He kept me alive when I wanted to give up. You can believe what you want, but I hope you will understand sooner rather than later that He loves you too. He has always been with you, even when you felt alone He was there."

He stares at her with an expression that she hasn't seen before. She feels uncomfortable from this, causing her to look away. "How can you be so strong in your faith? I grew up going to church but when everything happened, I stopped attending. I turned away I guess. I started living wildly, partying, drinking, enjoying women. I wanted to do something good in the world, but when I lost everything I gave up. I turned away from all that I had known and was before. I reinvented myself as this, what you see before you."

Bella shakes her head at him and grabs his hand. He widens his eyes in surprise.

"Edward, I have listened to Alice tell me how you used to be before your parents passed. She said you were sweet, caring and that you wanted to be a doctor to help people. I see you that way, not the way you think you reinvented yourself as. I know you are kind, compassionate and whether you like it or not, loving. You help people daily. You listen to them, employ them, take them in from the street . . ." she says grinning. "You may not be a doctor, but you still help others. You look tough and kind of scary on the outside with all of the tattoos and piercings, but they don't reflect who you really are on the inside."

He looks away from her and sighs. "I think you're going to be disappointed when you really see me." He then stands up and walks to the bathroom.

Bella slowly rises from the floor and goes to the bedroom. She anxiously paces back and forth while thinking about Edward. It looks as if Edward thinks he isn't good enough for love. She wonders how she can make him change his mind and see things in a different way. How can she bring him back to God?

* * *

As Edward takes a shower, he is turning what Bella told him repeatedly in his mind. _How can she be so strong in her faith after what has happened? As soon as I lost my parents, I lost myself also. I turned into someone who couldn't feel, therefore couldn't get hurt._ Now, three weeks later, he feels as though his world has been turned upside down. He quickly gets ready and hollers at her that he is headed downstairs. She was in the bedroom and poked her head out the door.

"I'm going to stay here. I don't want to see James," she says.

"Babe, I'm going to take care of James today. You won't see him again." He walks out the door and heads downstairs. When he gets there, he sees that Rosalie and Angela are already inside filling in Emmett and Garrett over the drama that transpired the previous night. Everyone quiets down as he walks in the door.

"Bro, why didn't you call me? You know I would love to whoop up on that a-, guy! Oh wait, where's Bella? Is she okay?" Emmett asks him worriedly. Edward is surprised by his response. First, he stops himself before he curses, then he seems genuinely concerned about someone other than himself.

"I really wasn't thinking Emmett, sorry. I was just worried about getting Bella out of there. I'm sure he slipped her something. She was sick and still has a headache. I'm going to take care of him today if he dares to show up."

"You should have seen Edward guys. He wailed on him. I don't know if we will even be able to recognize James today. I know for sure that he has two black eyes and teeth missing," Angela brags to the guys.

The chime for the door alerts them that someone has walked in. The group turns their heads in the direction of the door. Rosalie gasps, while the others look dumbfounded. James walks toward his booth and turns his equipment on, acting as if nothing happened. Edward quickly walks over, with Emmett and Angela following him.

"James, I need to talk to you in my office, now."

"Hey, Edward. How are you this fine morning?" he asks. _How dare he act like nothing happened! He can't feign ignorance; his face is torn up. I'm surprised he can even see to walk straight, his eyes are still so swollen. There is no way he can tattoo today._

"Cut the bull, get in my office."

"Sure, is everything okay?" _Really? Does he really think the way to handle this is by acting oblivious to it?_ When they reach the office, Edward closes the door behind them. Emmett and Angela hang around outside the door, either for moral support or to try to eavesdrop.

"James, I can't have you here anymore. I have tried to overlook the way you treat the ladies when they come in, but last night was the final straw. You drugged and attacked Bella! I'm sure she isn't the first one you have done that to. You are a liability. Honestly, I cannot have my parlor connected with you in any way. You need to pack your stuff up. When you're done, I'll have your final check ready."

James doesn't argue with him, instead, he turns and walks out the door. Emmett rushes in after him.

"I can't believe he didn't feed you some lame story. Things don't add up. He just doesn't let stuff pass over," he says.

"I'm shocked too. Watch him, make sure he only packs his stuff. I'm going to make his check out. Let me know if he does anything." Emmett affirms as he goes to James's booth.

As Edward finishes writing out James's check, he hears a commotion. He steps out of his office to see Garrett and James in a shouting match with Emmett struggling to keep the pair separated.

"What is going on?" Edward shouts as he walks over.

Emmett answers, "James was bragging about how it wasn't going to be long before he got Bella in the sack, Garrett heard him and began screaming at him to stay away from her or he would end him." _Whoa, Garrett seems to not care about anyone. He seemed less than thrilled to even meet Bella, let alone defend her. Maybe I've underestimated Garrett_ , Edward thinks to himself.

"James, get your stuff, take this, get out and never come back. If I see you anywhere near Bella, I won't go easy on you like I did last night. Emmett, escort him out," Edward orders.

Emmett shoves the box into James's arms, then pushes the paycheck into the box, takes James's arm and drags the blonde out the door. The others watch in awe over what just transpired. Garrett turns and quietly strolls back over to his booth. Edward goes over to him.

"Garrett, thanks. I know Bella would want to thank you too."

"It was nothing. I like Bella. She treats everyone like a human being. She doesn't see anyone's faults. She's a good person who doesn't deserve that pig messing with her," he states then turns away, continuing to get his supplies in order.

Edward turns toward the door, passing Rosalie and telling her that he's going to check on Bella and that he will be right back.

When he gets in the apartment, Bella is folding laundry. Edward notices that his Led Zeppelin shirt is in her hands. She is humming a tune to herself and hasn't heard him come in.

"Hey, be careful with that. It's a collectible," he laughs. She jumps, startled, then smiles.

"If it is such a collectible, why does it have a huge stain on it?" she smirks.

"What! What happened?" he asks as he rushes over to examine it. She laughs, flipping the shirt over to show him the front, which is still pristine. Edward takes a sigh of relief, then grins at her.

"So, everything okay?" she innocently questions him.

"Yeah, sweetheart, I think so. Just do me a favor, don't go anyplace without me, Emmett, or Garrett with you. I don't trust James, he took being fired too easily."

"Alright. I get you and Emmett, but why Garrett? I don't think he likes me much. He never really talks to me, but he isn't mean to me," she says thoughtfully.

"He really blew me away just now. James was packing his stuff up when he mouthed something about you then Garrett went off on him. Emmett had to hold him back. I talked to Garrett about it, he said that you were a good person and didn't need to put up with James." Bella looks at him, bewildered. She then gets a giant smile on her face.

"He does like me! I knew it! I knew he would be a good friend," she giggles.

Edward laughs with her. "Well, you were the only one to see it in him. It's because you try to see the good in everyone."

"Most people do have good in them. It's a few that ruin others forever," she says kindly. He takes her hand, squeezes it, then drops it back down nervously. She looks at her hand then back at him with wide eyes.

"Well, I'm going back down. If you need me, call. Keep the door locked and don't answer it." She nods her head, following Edward to the door.

"Bye babe, I'll check on you later," he tells her as he closes the door. He pauses, waiting to go down the stairs until he hears the lock engage. When he gets back inside the parlor he gestures for Emmett.

"Hey, what have you been able to find out for Bella?" Edward inquires.

"Well, it's like she never existed. I asked Alistair to help me. He works with that private investigator that I used to work for."

"Can you really trust a guy named Alistair? Sounds dopey. Are you sure he will help, or will he drop the ball?"

Emmett smirks, "Nah man, he's cool. He said that he would work on it as he has time. He owes me a solid. You can trust him. Tell me, how is Bella, seriously?"

Edward is flabbergasted that Emmett cares, she must have him wrapped around her finger as well, he thinks to himself. "I think she's okay. I told her not to go anywhere without me, you, or Garrett. I don't trust James, and I don't fully know what he might be capable of. I mean, I never expected him to drug anyone or force them to leave with him. He's got some major problems. I don't want Bella to be any place where she could be in that situation again, or something worse."

Emmett nods his head at Edward as he heads back to the booth. It looks as if everybody has fallen for Bella's charm.


	13. Chapter 13

**_Characters are S. Meyer's. Everything else is mine. Please continue to follow/favorite/review and recommend! Happy Monday!_**

A couple of weeks later, the weekend has finally arrived. Edward and Bella decide to go to the mountain range. It will be the first time Edward has been there since his parents' death, but he wants Bella to see it. They wake up quite early that morning and dress comfortably. Bella is in denim capris, a yellow t-shirt, and running shoes. Edward wears jeans, a tight, white fitted t-shirt, and his ever-present boots. She gazes at him as he has his back to her while he's loading snacks in his backpack. She has never noticed that the definition of his muscles shows through the shirt.

Bella shakes her head at this thought. _We're friends, and that's all he will ever see me as. An inexperienced young girl with a truckload of emotional baggage._ She is still in her daydream when he calls out her name. She jumps in response.

"Hey babe, you ready?" he chuckles.

"Yeah, let's do it," she responds, mortified. Bella hopes that he didn't see her staring at his muscles. As she thinks this, she blushes.

She can feel Edward's eyes on her as they drive out of town toward the mountains. She is careful not to make eye contact, for fear he will know what she is thinking. _I must have some sort of petty crush on him. That's what it must be right? There is no way he would feel the same, I mean look at him. He's caring, considerate, funny, handsome, oh no. I have it bad already._

"Babe, you've been awfully quiet this morning. What's on your mind?" he asks, breaking Bella out of her thoughts.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. Why do you ask?" she questions defensively.

"Don't worry, I was just wondering. Look, we are almost there. You can really see the mountains from here," he tells her as he points to them. She follows his finger and is enchanted at the sight before her. The mountains are not huge by any means, but they stand out in contrast to the plains. They are rocky, while also covered with trees and shrubs. There are many of them, all lined up. The sun shining on them brings out more of their beauty.

Edward tells her that they can drive up the tallest one, Mount Scott, and look around. She looks at him eagerly as he chuckles. They follow the winding road up the mountain. She is glued to her window, not wanting to miss anything. They reach the top after a few minutes. Edward looks at her and smiles, gets out of the truck and she swiftly follows. Bella stops to look all around. _It is so beautiful and serene up here. Nothing to block the sight of what God has made._ She walks over to the edge and looks down. She notices that she can hike down on the rocks _._ Bella looks over to Edward for approval, he nods and goes first to help her down. He reaches up for her and carefully helps her down by holding her waist.

They go on like this for what seems like hours. Climbing down rocks, looking around, and not speaking. Finally, they reach a landing where they are the only ones there. Edward proposes that they take a break. The view is incredible. They are overlooking a lake, it is so peaceful and comforting. "The trees look like bunches of broccoli," Bella jokes. She gets an overwhelming urge to open up to him. To tell Edward about her past.

"Edward, I think I'm ready to tell you about my past now." He quickly looks over at her, surprised. He shakes his head, urging her to continue.

"Well, my dad worked out of town a lot. One day my mom decided that we would take a road trip to go see him. I was homeschooled, so we didn't have to worry about missing school. We packed some stuff up and left the house. We had an old van that needed work, but it still got us around. I remember looking out my window at the bluebonnets that were in bloom along the side of the road. I know that we lived in Texas, I just can't remember where. Anyhow, the time in the van passed quickly because my mom and I would always sing along to the music playing. She loved music and was always singing. It didn't matter what the song was, she knew it or made up words to it. She would even try to dance while behind the wheel, and I would laugh and laugh. We would laugh together a lot," Bella tells him sadly.

Edward smiles and grabs her hand to hold. Bella looks at their merged hands and takes a deep breath. "My mom liked to take the scenic route on trips to see everything, but really she got lost all the time, that usually worked out for us but not that day. We got a flat tire, so my mom pulled over. We were in the middle of nowhere. There were no houses, stores or anything, and no one else on the road. She tried to change the tire herself, but she was having a hard time. We didn't have a phone, so she said we would have to wait until someone drove by. A couple of hours later, this older, huge, four-door car pulled up behind us. My mom stepped out to talk with the man who was driving it. I saw him from my side mirror. He was stocky, had oversized thick-rimmed glasses and receding hair. He had a thin mustache and wore older styled clothes. He was quiet, but you had a sense that something wasn't right with him. He told my mom he could help us, but he needed her to help him with the jack in the back of his car. I watched mom follow him to his trunk, then I heard her scream. I was startled and without thinking, shot out of the van and ran to her. When I got to her, she was laying on the road, her head bleeding. I was frozen in terror. Suddenly the man grabbed me and pushed a cloth over my nose," she says while holding back tears. Bella looks at Edward and sees the pain in his eyes. He squeezes her hand and weaves their fingers together.

Bella takes another cleansing breath and continues. "When I woke up, I was tied up, laying in a dark place that felt like it was moving. I tried to scream, but there was something in my mouth. I tried to look around, but it was too dark. I heard other cars and realized that I must be in the trunk of his car. A long time passed when the car finally stopped. I heard him exit the car and his boots clicking on the pavement. The sound of his footsteps becoming louder and louder. With each step, I grew more and more fearful. He opened the trunk and told me to be silent or he would kill me and my mom. I was able to look over to see my mom bound, gagged and still unconscious behind me. He lifted me out, carried me through his backyard and down into an underground bunker. He left me there in the dark, still tied up, and went to get my mom."

Bella must stop to calm herself down. Edward reaches over and embraces her, not saying a word. After a moment, she is able to gather herself and continue.

"My mom finally regained consciousness and started screaming for help. I was still too scared to speak, all I could do was cry. She told me to be brave, like she knew I could be and help her. Then we both began screaming. He must have heard us because he came barreling through the door and down the stairs of that place. He told us to shut up. That if anyone heard us, he had rigged the door to a bomb that would explode if it was opened. He said that we would not only die, but anyone that tried to help us also. He said we were in his underground bunker. There was a crude little kitchen, bathroom, and a living space. It wasn't even big enough for one person, let alone my mom and me. He said he took us because he was trying to save us from evil. He said the world was evil and that he would rid us of any evil that was already inside of us. He ordered us to strip out of our clothes, that we had to be cleansed of our sins before we could stay any longer. My mom tried to talk to him, to persuade him to let us go. He slapped her hard across the face and told her not to ever speak to him unless spoken to. He then led us to the bathroom where he turned the water temperature all the way over to hot. The water felt like it was boiling. He then hooked up a hose and used that on us, along with a brillo pad, harshly scrubbing our skin. He left burns and scratches on our skin. I still have scars from the bathings. He then made us get dressed in what he deemed to be appropriate for us to wear. He brought a little bit of food, barely enough for one person to last a couple of days. He said that it was our provisions for seven days. He ordered us to read the Bible and pray often. He said he would know if we had followed his orders. We had to keep the bunker spotless, up to his standards. He gave us hospital grade cleaner to use, it smelled so bad. The fumes would make us light-headed, especially since there were no windows or vents. The only light we had was from a single candle that had to last us seven days. There was only one sleeping bag that we both had to fit into at night. We didn't sleep much. We were too scared, never knowing when he would be back."

Bella was completely sobbing now. Nothing Edward can possibly say will calm her down, but she has to keep going. She must continue to tell him everything.

"At first it was really hard. We were frightened, so frightened. My mom refused to do what he said for the first couple of days that we were there. She thought if we caused enough trouble he would grow tired and let us go. We were very mistaken. He brought in a horse crop, ordered her to remove her clothes and beat her until she bled and couldn't stand. He hit her over and over. I had to treat her wounds. A little girl, having to take care of her mom's wounds. We figured out later that he had some kind of camera set up in the bunker, that's how he knew if we obeyed or not. He brought in a couple of fairy tale books, but the endings had all been ripped out. My mom would whisper the ending to me, but I never got to read it for myself. We also had a Bible and a set of encyclopedias. My mom taught me how to read using the Bible and taught me with the encyclopedias. She tried to teach me anything that she could remember, she didn't want me to be behind the other kids my age once we were free. She knew in her heart that we would be rescued. We prayed fervently to be rescued. We thought that any day the cops would come and take us away. We thought about my dad a lot. My mom would sing to me at night, I can't remember the songs but if I heard them I know I would recognize them. She also kept track of the days we were there. She would ask the man what day it was, so we could thank God for it. He caught on to what she was doing eventually. He punished her for it. He never beat me, always her. He told her he was keeping me pure, for when the time was right. I didn't understand what he meant, but my mom did."

Bella stops again to regain her composure. Edward hands her a bottle of water, she hastily drinks all of the contents. He keeps their hands linked as he scoots closer to her. "You can stop, you don't have to do this to yourself," he gently pleads.

"No, I have to keep going. I need a fresh start, and I can't have this weighing me down any longer," she replies. He nods and continues to look at her with compassion.

"We spent our days reading, cleaning according to his standards, and figuring out how to make the food and candle he gave us each week last until the next allotment. It was hard to present ourselves properly to him because he forbid us to have a mirror. He said that it was vain and encouraged evil thoughts. It was so lonely and dark. We could figure out the seasons based on the temperature in the bunker. A couple of years later, I was around eleven or twelve, mom began whispering to me ways to defend myself against him. She said I could knee him between the legs to make him fall. I could also knock his glasses off and poke him in the eyes. She made sure I remembered that if I did one of those things to not look back but to run. Run until I was safe, never stop running. He must have overheard in some way. Soon after, he started beating her. He would use the horse crop and whip her mercilessly. He would also tie her with rope and punch her. He made me watch while he beat her. He said if I ever tried to escape he would do the same to me, only worse. I grew more petrified of him, but my mom never stopped. She continued to talk to me and reinforce in me ways to get away from him. He must have reached his breaking point one day. He came when we didn't expect him and grabbed my mom. He hurled her against the floor and started choking her. He held his hands so firmly around her throat that his knuckles turned white. She tried to hit him, tried to move his hands off. The more she fought the tighter he held on. I was frozen on the floor beside her, crying, pleading with him to stop. He reached over and slapped me, ordering me to shut up. He then continued choking her again. She turned her head and uttered 'I love you' to me then stopped breathing. He held on to her a while longer after that. Then he hauled her body up the stairs and out the door. I never saw her again, he took her from me. He took everything from me." Bella cries out. Her sobs violently shaking her body. Edward takes Bella in his arms, holding her closely. He begins whispering calming words to her and gently strokes her hair. When she finally quiets down, she finishes her story.

"So, I guess, in one way or another, endured about eight more years on my own. I continued reading because I knew my mom would have wanted that. I read every page of those stupid encyclopedias, except for the last page in Z. That was the only way I could rebel against him. My own little way to act out," she snickers, proud of herself.

"I knew I was growing because my clothes became smaller, but he never gave me any new ones. He gave me less food to last the week. I had to learn how to clean, fix simple meals, and take care of myself. I lost track of the days and seasons. I didn't care any longer, I was praying for God to let me die. I was giving up, I couldn't go on much longer. I began having dreams of running outside, barefoot. I had so many of these dreams. I was running as hard as I could, through trees and on a road. These dreams gave me the courage to do what my mom had taught me to do before. When the food was gone for the week he came back. I heard the door and stood up to meet him at the bottom of the stairs. He began to get sloppy and not lock the door behind him when he came, which he did again that day. I waited there for him with my arms out to take the bag. Instead of taking the bag, I slapped his face as hard as I could. It knocked his glasses off, then I poked him in both eyes repeatedly. He fell, brought his hands to his face and yelled at me. Then I kicked him as hard as I could between the legs. He was rolling back and forth on the floor, hollering that he was going to destroy me. Then, out of instinct or something, I reached behind my back and grasped the frying pan. I walked to where he was laying, lifted it up and slammed it down on his head. He stopped moving and was silent. I didn't think twice before I bolted up the stairs and out the door. The sun was blinding. I hadn't seen it in years. I blindly ran. I fell a lot, but I kept getting back up. I got used to the light after a while. I never stopped, I ran through a bunch of trees for a long time. I got hit in the face by the branches but never slowed down. I kept telling myself to keep running like my mom had told me. After a long time, I came across a road with no cars. I followed it and, in the end, found you." Bella turns to Edward, who is still looking at her with alarm in his eyes.

"I never would have ever dreamed that you went through all of that darlin'. You are so strong and brave. You never have to worry about him again, I will protect you. If he does ever find you, I'll kill him. I won't think twice. You are safe now, you are safe," he tells her as he embraces her securely again. They stay like that, hugging each other and slowly rocking back and forth.

The sun is beginning to set, and they decide to head back to the truck. He helps Bella up the rocks, when they reach the top they stop to admire the sunset.

"I never would have imagined that the sun would be as beautiful as it is," Bella says softly to him. He looks over at her and smiles.

"Not as beautiful as you darlin', inside and out," Edward sincerely tells her. He takes her hand in his again as he leads her to the truck.

Bella feels as though a weight has been lifted from her. She no longer has to carry that around with her. _I finally feel free. Free of him, the monster that stole so much from me. He stole my childhood. He stole my mother. He stole my father. He stole my freedom. He stole the whole thing, apart from my faith. It was my faith in God that allowed me to endure and escape._

* * *

Edward was still reeling over Bella's revelation to him the previous day. He just can't wrap his head around what had happened to her. She was kidnapped, held prisoner and watched her mother's murder. He knew what he had to do. He needed to convince her to go to the police. The monster that did this to her needed to be locked up himself, or worse if Edward had anything to do about it. Edward was even more determined now to find out anything and everything about Bella before she was captured. He knew that finding her dad would be key to helping her move forward from her experience.

Bella stayed in the apartment, not feeling up to being in the parlor with him. She told him that finally talking to him yesterday had emotionally drained her, and that she wasn't up to being around the others. Edward understood, but he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he needed to be with her.

Edward walked into his parlor later than usual. Emmett was the first to notice him.

"Hey bro, where's Bella?"

"She's not feeling too great today, so she's resting upstairs."

"Dude, should you be here then? Maybe you should be with her. You could make her soup or something. Whatever guys do for their women when they don't feel good," Emmett said to Edward while grinning.

"First, she's not my woman. Second, she said she wanted to rest. I told her that I would check on her in a little while. When's my first appointment?"

"Uh, any minute. Just make sure to check on her. It doesn't feel right without her here, you know what I mean?"

Edward shakes his head in agreement with Emmett. He knows exactly what he means. Everyone else in the parlor seems to feel it too. It is a feeling of loss. Bella brings out the best in everyone with her cheerful demeanor and positive outlook on everything. The staff has grown to love her quickly. Everyone who meets her loves her. It is hard not to. She always has a kind word or compliment for every person who crosses her path. It is one of the qualities he loves best about her.

"Wait, did I just say love? I don't love her. I can't. I'm unable to love. You have to have a heart to love, and I definitely don't," Edward says to himself. Emmett comes around the corner with a huge smile on his face.

"Dude! I just heard you! You love Bella! I knew it, heck man we all knew it. Everyone knew but you and her. You need to do something about it. Don't let her slip away. March your rear up there right now and go get her!" Emmett says excitedly. Edward stares at him in shock for a few moments, then slowly rises out of his chair and walks out the door.


	14. Chapter 14

**Characters belong to S. Meyer,** **the story** **is m** **ine.**

 **Please continue to favorite/follow/review!**

Bella slowly makes her way to the window in the living room after Edward leaves for the isn't up to being around anyone. Yesterday's events wore her out. She just wants to spend the day relaxing and getting her mind right after reliving everything from the past fifteen years. She is thankful that Edward went to work. She likes when he is there, but when he is hovering it makes her more stressed. She doesn't like being treated as if she is so fragile that she will break. She wants things to go back to the way they were before she told him. She is going to have to talk to him tonight and tell him to cool it.

She sighs to herself as she stares out the window. She likes to look at the happenings on the street beneath her. She watches the clients enter the parlor downstairs. Each person has an anxious look on their face. She smiles when she takes note of this. She wants to get a tattoo she thinks to herself. She doesn't know exactly what she wants permanently etched on her skin, but she wants something to remind her of what she has survived. While she is pondering this, Edward quietly enters the door. He immediately notices Bella sitting peacefully in the large window. He stands in the doorway admiring her beauty. She senses someone behind her and turns around, startled.

"Edward, you scared me! I didn't hear you come in. Is everything alright?" Bella asks, still shaken up.

Edward smiles at her as he walks to where she is, "Yeah babe, everything is fine. I wanted to talk to you about something. You got a minute?"

Bella gets up and walks over to the couch, beckoning him to join her.

"I'm glad you came back, there was something I wanted to talk to you about also," she tells him.

"Well babe, you go first," he answers softly.

Bella takes a deep breath and begins, "Edward, I know I unloaded a great deal on you yesterday. Thank you so much for allowing me to do that. I feel so much better after finally being able to tell someone. Please don't take this the wrong way, but could you treat me like you did before I told you? I mean, please don't treat me like I'm going to break at any moment. I'm getting better, and I think I will get over this much faster if you didn't treat me any differently." Bella stares down at her toes that are digging into the plush green carpet. She is too nervous to look at him. She doesn't want to disappoint him, or even worse, hurt his feelings. She owes the man next to her everything, the last thing she wants to do is hurt him in any way.

Edward looks at her dumbfounded. He didn't realize that he was treating her in such a way. All he wants to do is to show her that she isn't alone in this.

"Babe, look at me," he quietly asks her as his finger lifts her chin up gently. Bella looks at him with watery eyes. His heart is breaking at the sight before him.

"Sweetheart, I never, never meant to treat you any differently. I only wanted to protect you. I just didn't want you to feel that you were alone any longer. I will always be here for you. I will protect you as long as you let me. It was never my intention to make you feel that way. So, can you forgive me?" Edward asks, hopeful.

Bella carefully listens to everything he has just told her. She feels strange, like her stomach is in knots but not in a bad way. Her heart flutters in her chest as she looks into his eyes as he speaks to her.

"There is nothing to be sorry about Edward. I'm sorry too. I just don't want anyone to feel pity for me, especially you."

Edward knows he needs to talk to her about the way he feels, but he doesn't have the courage to do so. They stare awkwardly at each other until he coughs, getting up from his seat.

"Well, I'm glad we got that cleared up. Do you want to come back with me? Everyone is missing you down there, including me. It's not the same without you," he admits while rubbing the back of his neck.

Bella looks up at him and smiles brightly.

"I'm sorry, but I think I need to take a me day. I'll come back tomorrow. I might even bake something for everyone if they behave today," she laughs.

Edward smiles and surprises them both when he leans over and presses his lips to her forehead in a lingering kiss. He quickly stands up and blushes. He waves goodbye while swiftly walking out the door. Bella remains on the couch, wide-eyed, with a silly grin on her face. She tentatively reaches up and carefully feels where his lips have been with her fingertips. She knows she feels something for him that is more than friendship. Bella also remembers what he has told her. His words come crashing back down on her. "I don't believe in love," the words are ringing in her ears.

"Maybe he can have a change of heart. Alice said not to give up on him," Bella says out loud to herself as she giggles.

* * *

"Yo Rosalie, get the chart out! It's happening! Our boy is in love. Who won the pool?" Emmett asks loudly while clapping his hands. The others quickly join him at the reception desk firing off questions at Emmett.

"Whoa, whoa. One at a time. You first Rosalie, you pretty thang you," he says as he winks at her. She scoffs and rolls her eyes.

"What do you mean, he's in love? Did he tell you? Are you just trying to get all of the money?" Angela questions.

"No way mama. I overheard him talking to himself. Then I told him to go right now and tell her how he feels before it's too late," Emmett proudly declares.

Angela and Rosalie stare at Emmett in astonishment. It was common knowledge that Edward Cullen was not the settling down type. That was part of the appeal that attracted women to him. They wanted to be the one to make him change his mind. Emmett, Alice, Angela, and Rosalie had watched the same thing play out repeatedly. The revolving door of women who thought they could tame the bad boy, only to have their hearts broken in the end when realization slapped them in the face. Edward never made promises to calm his ways, but that didn't stop the numerous vixens from banging on his door. His friends were all surprised when he began to stop his womanizing ways. He was maturing, and they all knew he felt as if he was missing something in his life. He was just too proud to realize it himself. He liked his rough persona, it kept him protected from being hurt. Those closest to him knew it, even if he didn't.

The girls carefully examine the chart closely to see who has won the pot. They have put the participants in order by how long they thought it would take Edward to fall in love.

"How long has it been since Bella came?" asks Rosalie.

"Like about six weeks, right?" replies Emmett, confident that he won.

Rosalie spots the name that has bet six weeks and starts to laugh. Angela stands stunned with her mouth open when she realizes the winner of the thousand-dollar pot.

"Garrett O'Neill, you had the most faith in our boy. You were the only one that chose the six-week time frame. Most everyone else thought it would be six months or longer," Rosalie chuckles. Emmett is astonished that he has lost. He just knows that he had picked six weeks.

"Let me see this, it can't be right. I know I won," Emmett says, irritated. He scans through the dates, finds his name under the six-month slot in his own scribble. He turns around and admits defeat. Garrett slowly stretches his hand out to accept his winnings with a smug look on his face.

"Thanks, doll. Pleasure doing business with you," Garrett mumbles as he turns to walk back to his booth. Just then Edward swiftly comes through the door. All the crew looks at him in surprise and quickly begins to hide the chart. They all know that Edward will not take too kindly to a bet being made as to when he will succumb to love.

"What is everyone doing? Get to work. I have bills to pay. If you don't have a client, find something to do," Edward aggressively orders.

The girls look at each other while Emmett jogs to catch up with Edward in his office. Emmett catches the door just before it crashed in his face. He steps into the room and quietly closes the door behind him.

"What's the matter, bro? Did you tell her?"

Edward was frantically pacing back and forth in his small office, grasping at his brown hair. He looks at Emmett, then begins to rub his face with his hands while mumbling to himself.

"Dude, chill out. You are freaking me out. What happened?" Emmett quizzes while trying to calm the man in front of him down.

Edward stops and slumps into the chair, then rests his head on his arms that he lays on the desk. He slowly raises his head and starts to speak to Emmett.

"I couldn't do it. When I went up there, she told me she had something to tell me. I became hopeful, I thought she was going to tell me she had feelings for me. But no, she told me to back off. That I was basically suffocating her. She told me about her past yesterday. Emmett, she has survived so much. I can't help it, I want to protect her from everything and everyone. I don't want her to go through any more pain as long as I'm living. I told her that, in not so many words. We came to a truce, but then . . ." he stops and lays his head face down on the desk again while groaning.

"Bro, what did you do? It can't be that bad," Emmett reasons with him. Edward looks up miserably.

"I kissed her forehead. I lingered and everything. Then when I pulled back, I saw the shock on her face. I think I just messed everything up. What am I going to do? I've never had to deal with this before. What should I do?" Edward desperately asks his cousin. Emmett chuckles at him.

"Bro, you're in love. This is all new to you. Did she really say you were smothering her? I can't believe she would say that," Emmett says.

"No, she didn't say that. It just felt like she did. She just wants me not to treat her differently because she opened up to me. I get it, but I just freaked out. I froze, then I made her uneasy," Edward snarls out.

"I don't think you freaked her out. Did she at least smile? If she didn't like it, I think she would have slapped you or something." Edward thinks over what Emmett had just said. He is right. Bella would have pushed him off or jumped away from him. Maybe he just shocked her. He wishes he knew where he stood with her. What her feelings are for him. He can't ask her, he doesn't want to know if his feelings aren't reciprocated.

"Well, she didn't push me off. I think she may have smiled, I don't really remember. I got out of there as fast as I could. I'm sure I looked like an idiot. What am I going to do?" he pleads.

"Well, you are going to act normal. Act just like she wants you to act, like nothing is bothering you. Keep talking to her, get to know her even better. I think things will turn out alright, man," Emmett tells the sad man before him. Edward looks dumbfounded.

"When did you become smart? That was actually good advice. Thanks," Edward tells the red-head.

"All in a day's work, bro. Speaking of which, we got Kimmy coming in for those wings she's been wanting."

Edward shakes his head, takes a deep breath and follows Emmett out of the office. He decides to follow Emmett's suggestions. He will get to know Bella better and completely win her over. He feels like he doesn't want to be without her. He knows he can't live without her now.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Thought I would give you an extra treat today! This is my favorite chapter, hope you like it as well.**_

 _ **Again, characters belong to S. Meyer,** **the story b** **elongs to me.**_

 _ **Please, Please, Please let me know what you think of this chapter!**_

Edward has been trying his best to act normal around Bella. It has been ten days since he choked and ran out after innocently kissing her. He honestly feels like a nervous teenager around her. He has begun to stutter and sweat in her presence. He is finding it increasingly difficult to have a conversation with her, he is too worried about looking like a lovesick fool. Edward daydreams about holding her in his arms and kissing her plump lips. Yes, he is completely in love with the beautiful brunette who is currently sitting beside him on the couch.

"Edward, are you ok?" Bella chuckles.

"Um, yeah. Why?" he answers as he is snapped out of his thoughts by Bella who is waving her hand in front of his face.

"I've been trying to get your attention for a while now. Do you want something to eat? I'm starving, I think I'll fix a little snack," she tells him as she rises.

"Yeah, babe. That would be great. Let me help," he says as he follows her.

They both search all around the kitchen, weighing their options. Edward spies the bottle of chocolate syrup then swiftly opens the door to the freezer and pulls out a tub of ice cream.

"How about an ice cream sundae? I know that's what I'm having, can I make you one too?" he innocently questions Bella. She enthusiastically agrees as she begins to grab the various toppings, bowls, and spoons. While Edward is creating his masterpiece, Bella sneaks up behind him and sprays whipped cream on his neck. He yelps and jumps. Edward turns around looking at her with a mischievous grin then grabs the chocolate syrup. Bella starts laughing noisily as she runs out of the kitchen. He quickly follows, trying to trap her. After chasing her around the apartment, he finally gets her cornered in the bathroom where he pours chocolate syrup on top of her head. The brown mess slowly oozes down her hair, onto her shirt, as he cackles at the sight before him.

"Not fair! I just got a little bit of whipped cream on your neck. You doused my hair with chocolate. It feels so gross!" she complains to him while laughing.

"All is fair in love and war sweetheart. To make it up to you take this, do your worse," Edward laughs as he hands her the bottle of syrup. Bella happily accepts it from him. She stands on the side of the tub, squealing as she pours the rest of the contents of the bottle on top of Edward's head. The chocolate slowly makes its way down his face and onto his white shirt.

"Ugh, you're right. It feels really gross!" he declares as he removes his shirt, then uses it to wipe off his face. Bella's laughter stops as she takes in the kaleidoscope of tattoos before her. Edward notices her stillness and turns around to look at her.

"Turn back around. I want to look at your tattoos," Bella whispers. Edward looks shocked but does as he is asked. Bella gazes over the intricate patterns that cover his back, neck, and arms. She has never been able to look at the artwork on his back before. She now understands that the tattoos tell his story in vivid pictures. She reaches out, delicately touching each one with the fingertips of her right hand. She didn't realize how tense he was until she touched him. Bella feels Edward immediately relax under her fingertips and hears him exhale the breath he was holding. He is facing the mirror, watching her in the reflection. He takes note of her face; how inquisitive it is. She looks over his shoulder and makes eye contact with him. Neither look away, they are caught up in the moment. Bella is the first to speak as she stills her fingers over his left shoulder.

"This plane, is it the one your parents were in?" she asks quietly. Edward shakes his head as he looks down.

"Why do you have it if it makes you sad?"

"I don't want to forget what happened. It's a reminder to me to live life because you don't know when it can end. I had it put on my back because it's my past, and I'm trying to move beyond it," he tells her truthfully. She continues to trace the plane's outline. It is very detailed, having a realistic appearance. There were the same mountains set as the background that he had taken her to. The trees and shrubs were vivid shades of green and the sky was blue with wispy clouds. She slowly moves her fingers to the tattoo beside it. This artwork is also highly detailed. It is a black circle with a web inside of it that has black, blue, red, and yellow feathers hanging from it. She stops her fingers on it.

"What's this one?" she curiously asks.

"That is a dreamcatcher. They are supposed to catch all your dreams. They trap the bad dreams and let the good ones pass through. I used to have a lot of nightmares, thought I might as well get one put on me," he chuckles. Bella grins as she then moves to his neck. This tattoo is wrapped around his neck. It is a band with black and red tribal symbols. He has the matching bands on the top of both his arms also. He notices what she is looking at.

"I just thought that was cool, and it was the popular thing at the time. It doesn't mean anything, just like the barbwire bands that are underneath them," he chuckles. Bella laughs as well. She moves her right hand down his back, stopping at a line of words that cross the width of his back. In elegant cursive, they read _Never Let Your Fear Decide Your Fate._ She delicately traces each letter of the words.

"That phrase really spoke to me. I was living in fear. I was afraid of everything. I was so unsure of how anything would turn out that I was letting my fear overrun me. That phrase is the first tattoo I got. It was about a month after my parents died. It was just some local guy that did it. All of my other ones Maddox did. He's the one I told you I trained under in Vegas," he tells her.

"I think that tattoo is fitting for me too," Bella tells him softly. She now raises both hands to his back and outlines the remaining large black tattoo. It is an intricate design, she can't make out what it is though.

"That is a Maori tattoo. I have the match to it on my forearms. The Maori tattoo is popular with warriors and fighters. It is said to give you strength to fight. I felt like I was in a constant battle with myself and others," he confesses to her while looking into her eyes. He knows that she is finished with the tattoos on his back, so he carefully turns around. He is now face to face with her since she is still standing on the side of the tub. She looks down at his collar. There is another band of words scrolled across his collarbone with thick, black font. _Live Today As If You'll Die Tomorrow._ She again traces the letters, then looks into his eyes. He is still gazing at her face.

"I felt like I needed those words where I would see them every day. So I wouldn't forget how short life is," answering her unspoken question.

Her hand travels to his right pectoral muscle. There is a large, intricate, and colorful compass tattooed on it. The compass has a ribbon across it that reads _Guide Me Home_.

"This is beautiful. Why did you get it?" Bella asks shyly, now that she is face to face with him.

"It is to always bring me back home. I think this is Maddox's best work. I really like how he incorporated so many colors in it and the shadowing he did. It has a 3-D effect. This one over here is a tribal sun. So that I will never lose myself in the darkness," he tells her as he guides her left hand to his left pectoral muscle. The sun she traces is white, yellow, and black. She glances under the sun to the large bird-like tattoo that covers the right side of his stomach. She touches the bird and traces the words that cover the left side of his stomach as well. There is one word per line that goes down to his waistline. _I Am My Beloved's and My Beloved Is Mine._ She looks back to his eyes for an explanation.

"The bird thing is a tribal phoenix rising. It symbolizes rising to triumph after defeat. The saying is from the Bible, I thought at the time it was fitting. Then, I still had a hope of finding someone to share my life with and thought this was to be in honor of them, whoever it was to be," he whispers. She continues to look at him and slowly smiles at him. He returns her expression as he takes hold of her hands in his. He ever so gradually, begins to lean in. Bella mirrors his actions. Edward stops, hesitantly looking her in the eyes again, checking for any signs to stop. When he finds none, he meets his lips with hers in a tender kiss. He marvels at how soft her plump lips are, and how this feels so right. He has never felt this before, not with any of the other women he has been with. There is a deep connection, one that was growing stronger at this very moment.

Edward reluctantly releases her lips and rests his forehead on hers, staring into her dark brown eyes. The eyes he has grown to love. Suddenly, he's worried that he has overstepped her boundaries. Quickly the worry is forgotten as Bella looks at him and smiles brightly. He is so relieved that he kisses her again, this time deepening it by wrapping a hand on the back of her neck, his other hand gently cupping her cheek. Bella brings her arms around his neck to hold him in place. Edward grins against her lips when he feels her do this. They continue to hold on to each other as they end their second kiss.

"I have been wanting to do that for such a long time now sweetheart," Edward whispers to her. She giggles while running her fingers through his sticky locks of hair.

"I'm glad you finally did, I've been waiting forever for you to make a move," she sighs, then giggles at his expression of shock.

After many additional stolen kisses, the pair reluctantly separates. Edward doesn't want to make Bella feel pressured into furthering their amorous moment. Edward sighs into her hair. "Sweetheart, we need to stop before I'm unable to walk away from you."

Bella pulls back, gazing into his warm eyes. "Edward, I don't want to go any further until I'm married. It's something that's really important to me. I don't want to have that kind of experience with anyone else, except for my husband. To me, that's a once in a lifetime thing. If that is something you're not comfortable with, we need to completely stop this now. I don't want to fall further for you if we aren't on the same page about being intimate," she quietly says while blushing.

Edward ponders this revelation. Of course, he knows she has never been in this type of situation, but he didn't realize she would want to wait for marriage. As he looks at her, he realizes that he can easily see himself growing old with her. He can picture coming home to a noisy house, some kids, a dog, and Bella. Suddenly, the idea of being tied down seems to be the best thing in the world. He knows that he will gladly wait for her. He wants her in his life.

"Baby, I want a future with you. I can't imagine my life without you. Somehow, you have changed me. I thought I was just fine the way I was, but I now know how wrong I was. Just the idea of you not being with me makes me sick. You are like the air I breathe, I can't survive without you. I don't even want to try. I want to share my life with you. What I'm trying to say, in a very roundabout way is," he stops chuckling to take a deep breath. "I love you, Bella. I think I fell for you the minute you opened your eyes and looked at me that first night. Please don't feel that you have to say it back, just know that I'm not going anywhere. I'm yours as long as you'll have me."

Bella feels so many emotions at once. She feels joy, scared, excited, anxious, but most of all love. She loves this man in front of her. This scary, tattooed man who has built this rough persona. She found what he has been trying to suppress for years. She found the true Edward. The Edward who is compassionate, loving, kind, and warm. She found the man she loves. "Edward, I don't know what to say," she tentatively answers.

Edward feels like his heart just fell to his stomach. He knows she is going to let him down. He begins to shift nervously from foot to foot while trying to look anywhere in the small room but at her.

Bella grabs Edward's face with her small hands to make him look at her. She smiles and continues," The only thing I know I can say to you is that I love you too. It happened so gradually that I don't know when it started, but I love you, Edward Cullen."

Edward looks at her in astonishment, then smiles and laughs. He immediately embraces her, lifting her off the tub to turn her with him. They laugh together as he leans down to place another passionate kiss on her lips, hoping it conveys the love he feels for her.

Bella knows this is where she wants to be, in his arms. She has never felt so safe before then at this moment. She wants to spend her life with this rough, caring, compassionate man who is standing before her. She has broken down his walls as he has with hers. Bella knows that God has placed this man in her life for a reason, to save him just as he saved her.

* * *

He has been busy getting everything in order for his strategy to capture Bella to be Aro is starting to question him, and he is worried that the truth about his mistress will be revealed. He knows he has to enact the plan this week. He has little time to prepare her for his god's plan. She will be twenty-one soon, and then they will become Master and Mistress of Salvation. Their offspring will help to repopulate the world. Their offspring will be pure, destined to fulfill his god's prophecy.

He now waits for her to be alone in the apartment. He just needs ten minutes to complete his mission. Once he has her back in his possession, all will be well again. It has been almost two months already with next month being when everything is set to take place. He has noticed his mistress becoming more independent by the day, obviously due to Lucifer filling her head with ridiculous notions. _Soon Lucifer, I will end you and your fallen angels. You will not succeed. You cannot corrupt someone so pure, who is destined to save mankind. I will destroy you and all those who have helped you. You will rot in hell where you belong and where you shall stay._

He continues to watch the building across from him as he blissfully thinks what his life will be like in a few short weeks when he becomes master. He hopes he won't have to wait very long before he has her back.


	16. Chapter 16

**_Thank you so much for the follows/favorites and especially, the reviews! There are 29 chapters to this story, so much more is to come for our favorite couple! Again, S. Meyer owns the names, I own everything else!_**

 ** _Please, please, please continue to tell me what you think, it makes my heart happy!_**

Edward is on cloud nine when he wakes up. Everything around him is Jamestiful. The lumpy couch he slept on last night is suddenly the most comfortable couch he has ever lain on. The birds are outside the window singing a glorious tune. The sun shining down on him through the window is marvelous. He feels as though he has on rose-colored glasses and is seeing the world in a new light. He sees the beauty in all that he touches now, and it is all due to Bella. The wonderful woman who finally made him wake up and realize what he has been missing. She is the final piece to his incomplete puzzle.

He quietly tiptoes to her bedroom to see if she is awake yet. When he gently opens the door, he leans against the door frame, taking in the heavenly sight before him. She is laying on the bed, her chocolate hair fanned out across the pillow. She looks just like an angel. She is wearing a small grin on her peaceful, angelic face. He eventually closes the door again, deciding to walk across the street to pick up breakfast for the two of them. He quickly cleans up, grabs his wallet and keys, and places a note on the kitchen counter telling her where he is. He then softly closes and locks the door as he leaves the apartment.

Bella stirs in bed as she rubs her eyes, removing the sleep that has settled in them overnight. She slowly rises, then habitually walks to open the curtains of her window. She first looks at the people below her on the street. They are all wearing a smile on their face, the same as she currently wears. She is in a state of bliss and she wants everyone else to feel like she does. The world is so wonderful, with the green trees, blue sky, and the warm sun shining. She dances down the hall, hoping to find Edward still asleep on the couch. When she discovers that the couch empty, she searches for him in the bathroom and kitchen, calling out his name. She then finds his note and her heart grows in love even more for him. She decides to wait for him on the couch until he returns so that she can greet him with a kiss. Then she remembers that she should brush her teeth, so she won't turn him off due to her morning breath. When she is finished, she ends up in the living room window, like normal. She thinks she can watch for him to return from there. She is eager to see the man she has fallen in love with, walk across the street back to her. She hopes that he has a smile on his face just as large as the one she is wearing. A knock on the door stirs her out of her daydream. She quickly gets up, jogging to the door.

"Did you forget your keys . . ." she suddenly stops and begins screaming as she tries frantically to slam the door closed.

* * *

He gazes up at the window that he knows she frequents out of is surprised when he only sees her and not Lucifer. He looks at the watch on his left wrist. No, she will soon be in that filthy parlor with Lucifer, but he isn't with her. She hasn't been alone in that apartment for over two weeks. He suddenly remembers that he packed all the supplies he has purchased in the trunk of his car this morning before he left. He can put his plan into action now. He smiles to himself as he gathers his belongings, throws some bills on the table then leaves the café.

He now has everything he needs to get her back. He takes the duct tape and chloroform out of the trunk along with rope and a pillowcase. He looks back and forth nervously from where he is behind his car, then puts on a black ski mask to hide his face. He quietly closes the hood to his trunk and stealthily walks up the stairs to the apartment where she is being held. He has counted the number of stairs every time he has parked behind the building. Twenty-four concrete steps. Twenty-four steps until his mistress is safely back with him. He quickly climbs each one until reaching the metal door to the hallway leading to the final door. The door that she is waiting behind for him to rescue her. He quickly marches over to the final door and knocks loudly.

He has it worked out in his head what he will say to her. He knows she will probably be frightened to see him since Lucifer has been filling her head with nonsense.

* * *

Edward walks back to the apartment with a skip in his step, carrying a bag of pancakes and bacon from the little breakfast joint down the block from them. He even says hello, greeting every person he passes on the sidewalk. He receives a lot of strange looks, but he couldn't care less. He is counting the steps, with every step that he takes, it brings him closer to Bella. When he finally arrives, he notices the door to their apartment is open.

"Babe, were you waiting for me? You know I always have my keys on . . ." he stops abruptly when finds the mess in the empty room. He drops the bag from his hands, rushes from room to room searching for her, and yelling her name. He doesn't know what to do. His desk is overturned, papers scattered everywhere, and the couch cushions are thrown about the room. He notices a rag on the floor with drops of blood beside it. He bends down to pick up the rag, noticing it has a sweet smell that he can't place.

"Bro, I got some news for you about Bella. Whoa, what happened?" Emmett questions as he rushes into the apartment.

"I don't know, I came back from picking up some food for us and I found this, and the door was open. There was this rag with drops of blood by it on the floor, and she's not here," Edward explains to him, still in shock.

Emmett walks over to take the rag out of Edward's hand. He then brings it up to his nose, smelling it, then dropping it back to the floor.

"Man, that's chloroform. Whoever dropped this used it to knock Bella out. Who do you think did this? Do you think it was James?"

"I don't know, but that's a good place to start. Come on, let's go right now!"

Edward and Emmett race out of the apartment to Emmett's car. Edward knows that he is in no shape to drive right now, he is far too concerned about Bella and how he has failed to protect her.

As Emmett is speeding across town to get to James's he probes, "What are you going to do if she's there?"

Edward turns his head to Emmett, he has wild, frantic eyes and a malicious smirk.

"I'll kill him. If he has hurt her, there is no question that I'll kill him. You can leave me there, don't go down with me. Just promise me that you will look after Bella." Edward turns his attention back to the road in front of them, a rigid expression on his face. Emmett is freaked out by Edward's blunt response and demeanor. He has never seen his cousin in this state before. Emmett reaches for his phone in his jacket pocket and hurriedly sends a text to Alice, telling her what's up and to go to the parlor. She responds quickly and does as he requests.

"He's here, there's his Corvette. Stop the car!" Edward yells at Emmett. Emmett slams on the brakes, which causes the tires to screech. Edward jumps out of the car, leaving the door wide open as he runs toward Emmett's apartment.

"Yo Edward, hold up! I'm coming with you!" Emmett cries after his cousin, but Edward continues to the door. Emmett trails as fast as he can.

When Emmett catches up to him, Edward is already pounding on the door to the apartment.

"Calm down man, don't do something stupid," Emmett voices to him. Edward gives the red-head a disgusted look. Just as Edward is about to kick the door down it swiftly opens.

"Hey guys, here to beg me to come back to work?" James hiccups, clearly intoxicated. Edward shoves the drunk man out of the way as he desperately calls out for Bella. He rushes from room to room, looking for the brunette.

"What are you looking for? Your toy left you, huh? You think she came here? I knew you were worried she had a thing for me. They all do, even if they deny it, they all want me," James slurs out. Edward runs up and punches him in the mouth, then clutches his collar and brings the drunk's face to his own.

"Where is she? What did you do to her?"

"Hey man, Edward chill. She's obviously not here. He is way too drunk to even stand up right now. There is no way he drove to your place and took her. Let's get back to the parlor and get the others, come on," Emmett states as he yanks Edward out of the apartment.

"Yeah, run off. Go cry in your precious parlor. Cry that she came to her senses and left you're a—" James is stopped by Edward's fist knocking him out cold.

Emmett jerks Edward away and back to the car. He rushes back to the parlor, while Edward sits in the passenger seat with his head cradled in his hands.

"Emmett, what am I going to do if I can't find her? I love her, she loves me. We told each other last night. Just when things start to go right in my life, it goes to hell just as fast. I'm not meant to be happy. The universe is against me."

"Man, stop this crap now. Listen, I got some news on Bella. Her dad is alive, he reported her and her mom missing like fifteen years ago. He's living in a little town in Texas, not far from here. It's weird though. Alistair said that every time something would pop up with her info in it, it would be blocked then immediately taken down. Like someone doesn't want her to be found. Her dad has someone update the missing person information weekly. A different day each week, trying to bypass the blocker. Alistair finally got the block lifted and got lots of stuff on her. There are even pictures of her when she was little, you can clearly tell it's her.

Edward stares at him, stunned. This is what she has been waiting for, now she's not here to receive it. He is now more determined to find her. He is not going to give up. She wouldn't give up on him.

"Edward, man. Everyone is at the parlor, they are ready to help. Alice called the cops though. It's time man, no matter what Bella has told you. I have the info on her in the back. I know that some deranged piece of crap took her. That is the only explanation about her past and why she needs help. That same tool probably has her again. We need more people, like the cops, to search for her.

Edward shakes his head in agreement. He knows that his cousin is right. Now, all he can think about is having Bella back in his arms. As they pull up at the parlor, they immediately notice the frenzy of activity. There are police cars everywhere. People have gathered around trying to get a glimpse of what is going on.

The men get out of the car and rush over to the parlor. Emmett speaks first, "Let's hurry up and get her back man. Come on!"

* * *

The blonde smirks as he watches the two men leave quickly. _That's it, you idiots, begin your wild goose chase. You will never find her. She is too important to the world to be stuck with some two-bit tattoo artist._

He turns around and walks out the back door of his apartment to a storage shed. He opens it quietly, as to not draw attention to himself. James looks down to see a still unconscious Bella tied up on the dirt floor of the dark, dingy shed.

"Sleep, my mistress. Soon you will be with me and Savior Aro. That other fool, Marcus, actually believed he was going to be Master of Salvation. That imbecile didn't realize that Savior Aro was just using him for money. I was always the one that was meant to be master. I am the only one entitled to be. Savior Aro is my brother, did anyone really think that I wouldn't have an important role in the salvation of mankind?" he chuckles to himself.

He has had to sit back and build this façade, to make everyone believe a certain way about him. There is no way anyone could believe that he was the master. Marcus fulfilled his role well in caring for Bella. He did find the perfect mistress. Regrettably, he killed off her mom too soon. _I could have had fun with her for a while, but crazy Marcus got nervous because she had ideas._

The time came for James to collect Bella and to take care of Marcus. When he got to the little shack outside of town, no one was there. He searched the bunker to find it empty as well. His first thought was that Marcus had run away with her, not wanting to follow through with the plan. James immediately called his brother. Aro sent his protectors to scout the area and track Marcus.

James found Bella before any of the protectors could. The day she came into the parlor, he was floored but played it off. He couldn't believe she was standing in front of him, after two weeks of searching for her. He had been watching her grow into a beautiful woman since she was captured. Savior Aro insisted that there be some cameras in the bunker. Unfortunately, there was not a camera directed at the bottom of the stairs. That is why they were in the dark about what really happened for so long.

James had overheard the girls at the parlor talking about taking Bella out. He knew that was his chance to get her back. His plan did not have the outcome he had desired though. He didn't expect her to put up such a resistance. He assumed he could coax her using his charm and appeal. That was all he had to do in the past to recruit new followers. It was because of him that the sect had grown so much. Women found him irresistible. He would turn on the magic, and they would fulfill his every whim. The unsuspecting women would leave their husbands, children, and homes, all the while taking their money with them. They would happily turn over all of their valuables to him to give to Aro to fund the sect. He made the women believe that they were to be the Mistress of Salvation. The women that wanted to stay, realized their true purpose. They were only truly needed to fund the sect and do the chores. The ones that fought to leave were sacrificed.

The night that he almost succeeded with Bella was the night that Edward came and thwarted it. James knew then that capturing Bella would be more difficult. Edward was now an obstacle. James planned to return to work like nothing had happened, thinking that Edward wouldn't have the nerve to fire him. Needless to say, he was very surprised when Edward let him go, and that the others fully supported him in his decision and Bella. Scot, the drunk, even stood up for Bella.

James knew he had to think of another way to get her. He began observing Bella from the café across the street. He saw Marcus there too, knowing that he had finally found her as well. Marcus didn't know anything about James, he was the sect's biggest secret. He was kept hidden so that no attempt would be made on his life to ruin the plan of salvation.

The day finally came when Bella was left alone. He knew he had but a few precious moments to carry out the capture. He grabbed chloroform from his car and ran to the apartment. Bella opened the door quickly, then slammed the door on his hand causing it to bleed. He forced his way in and put the rag that was soaked in chloroform in her face and she went down. He quickly picked her up and carried her to his car. As he was leaving the parking lot he saw Marcus making his way to the apartment also.

James drove through the quiet streets back to his place then dumped Bella in his shed, bound and gagged. He never expected for Edward and Emmett to show up at his doorstep.

When he saw them pull up to his door, he quickly acted as if he was drunk to throw them off. His plan worked. They ultimately gave up on him and left. Tonight, after dark he will move Bella to the sect's headquarters. The women of the sect will begin the ritual of preparing her for the plan of salvation.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Another chapter! Thank you again for the comments and reviews! This story is published on Amazon, so feel free to get it there also and spread the love.**_

 _ **Again, Stephenie Meyer owns the names, I own everything else.**_

 _ **Please continue to comment/follow/favorite!**_

Edward is going out of his mind. So many different, horrible things are playing out in his mind about the fate of Bella. The parlor is full of cops, his friends, and customers who have grown to love the sweet, quiet girl. He didn't grasp the impact she has made in everyone's life after so little time.

"Sir, do you have a picture of this Bella so we can start having our officers canvas the area?" the officer, Black asks. Edward shakes his head and pulls out his cell phone. They had just taken a selfie together the previous night after they revealed their true feelings for each other. The genuine smiles on their faces in the photo is painful for him to look at. Officer Black takes the phone from Edward's shaky hand. Emmett and Alice step over to Edward to try to comfort him.

Everyone in the parlor has been exhaustively questioned. None of them can name anyone who would want to harm their Bella. She is the only person they can think of that when anyone met her, they instantly loved her. Their thoughts are interrupted when the officers are called outside to fingerprint and photograph the apartment. Edward feels as though his heart is being stabbed repeatedly _. How could she be gone? Did that man come back for her? How am I going to go on without her with me?_

Garrett comes up to him with a look of concern on his face. Edward expects him to say something of a comfort to him but is surprised.

"Get off your butt and go look for her! Sitting around isn't getting anything done. We have all of these people here that heard something happened to her and they want to help. We are her family, family doesn't give up. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and think of her. She is probably scared out of her mind, wondering when you are going to come get her."

Edward looks at the man before him, dumbfounded. Every word that he just said was the absolute truth. He is behaving in a purely selfish manner. Edward rises from the chair and marches out the door. Everyone stands where they are and stares after him. He turns around, "Well, are ya'll coming or not?" With that, all of the employees and customers scurry after him to listen to his plan.

"Can we get groups to go to every business to see if anyone saw anything that was out of place or anyone that looked shady? Let's check back with each other here in about an hour. Let's go people!" Edward orders as he, Alice, and Emmett walk across the street to the café to question the people there.

* * *

Bella blinks her eyes and tries to stretch out her sore limbs. She quickly opens her eyes when she realizes that she can't straighten out her arms or legs. She looks down to see her legs bound with rope and her arms tied to them behind her back. There is a rag that is taped in place to her mouth to muffle her cries. She is in a dark room on a dirt floor. It is cold and musty. The smell of gasoline and mold is strong in the little room. She remembers James shoving something in her face, then only blackness after that. Why had James taken her? What could he possibly want with her? Is this all because of the night in the pool hall or because of Edward firing him? Bella is busy thinking about this when the door to the room opens, allowing sunlight to illuminate her surroundings. She is able to look around, then realizes that she is in some sort of gardening shed. She is laying on the floor beside a lawnmower. She glances around and sees a box of trash bags, a box of gloves, and two shovels against a wall. She then looks toward the door to see James leaning against the frame, smirking at her.

"Well, hello baby doll. You don't look so happy to see me. Don't worry, once you get to headquarters and get cleaned up you will feel so much better. Did you know it is almost exactly two months until your birthday? You know what that means don't you, baby? It means that you will then become Mistress of Salvation. That's exciting, right? There are lots of people waiting to meet you. We will leave in a few hours, until then why don't you go back to sleep." James saunters over to her with a rag as he places it over her nose again. She fights him the whole time, but it is futile as she is tied up. Blackness overtakes her again.

* * *

Everyone is waiting for Edward's group to come back to the meeting they get there, Rosalie tells them what they had found out.

"A man at the shoe store said he came out for a smoke and saw a short, dumpy guy with a black ski mask coming out from the back of his older model car. He then walked across the street toward the parlor. He said he didn't think much about it since it was kind of cold this morning. He went back to his shop before he could see the guy again. He did say that the man took weird, short, quick steps. I don't know if that helps. Edward, do you know anyone like that?"

Edward's mouth drops open in shock. The description sounds like the man Bella has told him about. The man that took her and her mom. The man that kidnapped them so long ago. "Yeah, it does. Excuse me guys, I think I need to talk to the officer now." He turns on the heel of his boot and swiftly walks back into his parlor.

Officer Black was inside, going through his notes and witness questioning. Edward strides to the officer and requests that he go to the office, to which the man obliges.

"Do you have some time? Bella told me some stuff about her past yesterday, and I think you need to hear it. I was hoping that she would have been the one to tell you, but I don't think it can wait," Edward states to the officer.

Officer Black agrees, and retrieves his notebook from the top, left pocket of his uniform. He nods his head at Edward when he is ready. Edward begins recounting everything that Bella had told him. Throughout the lengthy story, Officer Black transcribes everything. In the end, Edward tells him about what Rosalie was told by the shoe salesman.

Officer Black places his notebook down and leans back in his chair. "So, are you telling me that you had a woman here for over six weeks that was a kidnapped child for fifteen years and no one thought to report this to us?"

Edward dumbly shakes his head. "In all fairness, she said that he had warned her that no one would believe her and that he had erased her existence. She was scared that she would have to go back to him, I felt I had to protect her."

"Well, that was stupid." Officer Black stands up and walks out the door. Edward follows him. The officer quickly gets on his radio and gives them a description of the suspected attacker. The officer relays all details about the house and bunker to the dispatcher as well. He then walks over to his captain and fills him in on what Edward has just unloaded on him. The captain looks at Edward in surprise, then quickly pulls out his phone.

Edward stands back and watches the men in front of him begin to frantically call others and fill out paperwork. Another officer comes in with a laptop which the men huddle around. After about thirty minutes, they call Edward over.

The captain speaks first. "Son, I'm Captain Uley. I hear that you gave quite a report to Officer Black. I have had my men look into this and based what you told us, we have been able to find out more information. We got in contact with a Charlie Swan of Burkburnett, Texas. He fully backs up what you told us about his wife and child disappearing about fifteen years ago. He said he was working at Fort Sill doing contract work at the time. My men also found the pictures that were released when they were reported missing and compared those to the time lapse photos from the lab. The picture you gave us is almost identical to the picture that was created. I have sent some of my men to the areas around this part of town to trace her steps as she escaped from wherever she was held at. They are also on the lookout for an older model car, with a man fitting the description the guy from the shoe store gave. We are going to watch this James Hunter character also, to make sure he checks out. What I need you to do is wait here for Charlie Swan. He is on his way here to wait for information on his daughter. He doesn't know anything about his wife yet, I want to try to find her remains first or have Bella tell him when we find her." With that, the Captain turns and walks away. When he leaves the parlor, the others rush back in.

Edward tells Alice and Emmett in private what he relayed to the officer. They are astonished that so much has happened to their Bella. They are now more determined than ever to find her. Edward also tells them that her father is on his way. The pair then decides it is best to wait with Edward. Emmett tells the others that Bella's father is on his way. They are confused but don't ask any questions.

Edward locks himself in his office to wait for Mr. Swan. Emmett and Alice try to keep their friend's morale high. The business owners from the street bring food to the parlor and wait with everyone else that has assembled there.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Thanks again for all of the reviews/favorites/follows! Keep it up, please!**_

 _ **Again, S. Meyer owns the characters, I own the story.**_

 _ **Check out the published work on Amazon.**_

When Bella wakes up again, she is in a different place. She remembers this place from her nightmares. She knows she is in the trunk of a car. Her arms and legs are still bound tightly behind her. She can feel tape pulled tautly over her mouth to hold the rag muffling her voice in place. She is lying on her left side in the dark, cramped compartment. The air is thick with a mildew smell. She is being rolled and bumped as the car continues to drive on. Every time the car would come to a stop, Bella would desperately try to kick or bounce up and down to make the car move to draw attention and hopefully be released. Soon, the sound of passing vehicles dies out and it is quiet except for the soft roaring of the engine. While she is thinking of other ways to get out of her current situation, the car stops and the engine shuts off. The car door opens and slams closed. She can hear footsteps growing louder as they move toward the trunk. With each step, her breathing becomes more erratic. She can feel sweat dripping down her back and face. Her body is shaking with fright. She has no idea what James wants with her or what he is going to do. When the lid opened, she is temporarily blinded by the bright sunlight. When her eyes began to focus, she finds that she is staring into the smirking face of James Hunter.

"Hello, baby doll. We are home. Now, you're going to be a good girl and not scream, right?"

Bella shakes her head up and down in agreement. James quickly rips the tape off her mouth, then she spits out the rag. After taking a few staggering breaths, Bella begins screaming for help. James tells her to shut up, but Bella ignores him.

"You asked for this, doll," he murmurs as he draws his hand back and then slaps her hard on the right cheek. She begins whimpering and softly crying. James overlooks this as he picks her up and slings her over his shoulder as he walks toward a large, gray metal building with no windows. Bella swiftly looks around to memorize her surroundings so when she escapes she can tell the police where she was. They are on a dirt road that is surrounded by giant, overgrown trees. The building is set far off the road, hidden by brush and shrubbery. There are no other cars in the driveway except the one she was taken out of. She studies the car that James had put her in the trunk of. It was a light baby blue, older model, four-door car with rust spots on the bottom of the doors on the driver's side. The license plate was from Louisiana.

Bella begins to violently wiggle against James in hopes of getting away. He slaps her on her bottom to quiet her down.

"Now princess, why are you so hell-bent to get away from me? Don't you know we are destined to be together?"

"No, never! Let me go! I promise I won't tell anyone what you did. We can act like this never happened!" she frantically pleads.

"Why would I do that? We have been grooming you for your role since you were little. Now, shut it!"

James's words shock Bella. _Was he involved in her kidnapping? If he was, what was his role?_ _What role is he talking about?_ Bella's mind is racing around the questions she is posing to herself. She realizes that they have now entered the building. The interior is cold and dimly lit. She immediately sees a group of women coming toward her. _Maybe they will help me_.

"Please help me! This man has kidnapped me! Please, do something, anything!" Bella urgently pleads. The women look at her with an indifferent expression and take her from James, setting her on a gurney. They pick her up and carry her past the main room where they entered, through a maze of hallways, then finally to a back room. Bella can see a hospital table with stirrups and a place for her arms to be tied down. The group of women dwindles down to four.

The four raven-haired women are dressed alike. They are wearing button up shirts made of scratchy cloth, all pale green in color with khaki long straight skirts. The women have their hair pulled up into a severe, tight bun and are not wearing any makeup. They begin working silently to untie Bella and move her to the table. One woman turns to a silver cart and opens drawers, pulling out different instruments. Bella can't tell what the instruments are, she is just able to hear the hard metal noise they make as they are placed on top of the cart. The same woman turns around with a pair of large scissors in her hand. She walks over to Bella and begins to cut away her clothing.

"Please don't do this! It's not too late to let me go. I can help you too, just please help me!"

The women continue to work robotically, in sync with each other to rid Bella of her clothes. Once she is naked they retrieve a garden hose from the corner of the room. One pours a disinfectant soap on Bella's body and begins scrubbing with a brillo pad, just like he used to. Yet another begins to spray her down with a harsh spray of frigid water from the hose. They flip her over on the table and repeat the process to her backside. When they are finished, she is again flipped over. The woman with the soap now begins to scrub Bella's face and hair. She is far from gentle, as she cruelly uses her fingernails to scrape and dig into Bella's scalp. Bella is convinced she must be bleeding now from the scouring she is receiving. While silent tears are running down Bella's face the women complete their task. They each stand back in a line together, then exit the room leaving the door open. Bella, seeing this, starts to scream at the top of her lungs again for help. She continues until a man rushes inside and slams the door closed. Bella is startled by this, then feels frightened as this man stares at her naked body.

"Well, well princess. You have really filled out well. Too bad James was chosen to be Master. I would have really loved to have broken you in," the man mutters to her.

"What do you mean? What is a master? What are you talking about? How do you know me?"

"You will have all of your answers in due time. For now, stop the screaming. No one is going to help you. You are here to fulfill a plan. Now just sit tight and shut up," he tells her angrily as he turns, leaving the room.

Bella throws her head back onto the cold, hard table and quietly sobs. She starts praying zealously that Edward finds her soon before she discovers what these people have planned for her.

* * *

Edward is in a catatonic state in his locked office. He can't tear his eyes away from the portrait Bella drew the first day she came into the parlor. He stares at each individual tree and blade of grass. He remembers watching her as she worked on it and how he fell in love with it as soon as he looked at it. It was that day that he knew everyone who met her would fall in love with her, just like he did. She was just too caring and open for you not to.

He can hear the noises and bustling movement from beyond the walls but cannot force himself to join them. The events of the day are crashing down on top of him. He keeps reliving the pain he felt when he came upon his open apartment door. The sorrow he felt when he realized she wasn't there and the shock of when he found the drops of blood on the floor.

A series of taps on the door brings Edward out of his thoughts. He hears Emmett from the other side of the door tell him that Bella's dad has arrived. Edward slowly hauls himself out of the chair and shuffles to the door. He places his hand on the handle, takes a deep cleansing breath, and turns it open. He walks toward the group of people congregated at the reception desk. He then sees a man of average build. The man has salt and pepper gray hair and a worn, olive complexion. He has warm, brown eyes framed with deep set laugh lines and a thoughtful expression of hope on his face. He is dressed in a plaid button up over slacks with tennis shoes. He looks to be in his fifties. Edward stops where he is and continues to stare at the man. There is no doubt in his mind that this is Bella's father.

"Edward, man come here. Introduce yourself to Mr. Swan. He has some questions for you," Emmett calls out to him.

Edward walks over and extends his left hand to the older man.

"I'm Edward Cullen, sir. It's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot of good things about you from Bella," Edward tells him sadly. The older man looks over Edward, scrutinizing every detail of him. He is making Edward feel uncomfortable and has him believing that this man doesn't think that he is good enough for his daughter. Edward retracts his hand that was not shaken, dropping it to his side defeatedly. The man walks up to him and suddenly pulls Edward into an embrace. Edward stands there in shock, with his eyes as big as saucers and his mouth open wide.

"Thank you, son. Thank you for taking care of my little girl. I'm so glad that you found her. Your cousin and friends filled me in on how you found her and how she was before today. They told me that you love her. I'm relieved that you protected her."

"Sir, I didn't protect her. Look what happened. I left for twenty minutes and someone took her. I should have never left her. I promised her that nothing bad would ever happen to her again. I just . . . I just failed her, and you," Edward sighs. Bella's dad shakes his head at the sullen man standing before him.

"Son, you can't think that. You did nothing wrong. Now, come sit with me and tell me about my daughter. I've missed so much, I want to hear about her from you."

Edward and Mr. Swan move to a secluded corner of the parlor and begin talking. Edward finds that Bella gets her warmness from this man. He is extremely easy to talk to and even shares her sense of humor.

"The police showed me a current picture. She looks just like her mother. Did she mention her mom to you?"

A feeling of illness quickly comes over Edward. He doesn't want to be the one to tell him that his wife was murdered. He also feels that he couldn't keep this man in the dark any longer either. Mr. Swan deserved to have some form of closure.

"Well, sir. Ha –," Mr. Swan abruptly cuts Edward off.

"Please son, call me Charlie. We're in this together now, no need for the formalities," he smiles.

Edward continues, "I can't do that sir, I have too much respect for you. Mr. Swan, Bella did tell me about what she had endured while she was held a prisoner for so many years. In fact, she just told me recently. She had been here for a while before she felt comfortable enough to relive it."

Edward relays to Mr. Swan everything he can remember Bella telling him. He has managed to avoid mentioning Bella's mom.

"I just can't believe it. How could they survive that for so long? It is too heinous to even imagine. It's like a horror movie. So, where is Renee? Did she tell you where she is? Are the police looking for her too?" Charlie asks, full of hope. Edward stares down at his black combat boots, suddenly fascinated by them. He tries to think of anything that can keep him from having to tell this man the fate of his wife.

"Edward, I know something must have happened. Would you please just tell me. I have lived this nightmare for far too long. I would like at least a portion of it to be over as soon as possible," he implores of the tattooed man. Edward raises his head, gazing at the kind man. He then takes a deep breath and nods his head.

"Mr. Swan, I really don't want to be the one to tell you this. It's not my place, but I agree that you need closure to some of this. Bella said that her mom had started telling her to be strong and how to attack the man, to bring him down long enough to get away. Bella knew that there were cameras on them, watching everything they did. Renee began to defy the man holding them. One day the man just snapped. He began choking Renee in front of Bella. She whispered to Bella that she loved her and knew she would get away some day. Bella had to watch as that monster took her mom away from her. She thinks that she was eleven or twelve. She didn't have a way to tell time or track the days. She didn't even know how old she was when I found her. I'm so sorry Mr. Swan. I'm just so sorry," Edward voices to the man who was silently crying beside him.

Mr. Swan looks up at Edward with tear filled eyes and gives him a slight smile. He wipes away his tears, then hugs Edward again.

"Don't be sorry, son. You didn't do this. Those monsters will pay for everything they have done. My poor, beautiful wife. She was so full of life and love. She loved music and she was so goofy. I remember her laughter. Our home was filled with so much happiness," Mr. Swan stops.

"I'm just so sorry Bella couldn't have experienced more of that. She had happiness for such a short amount of time. She and her mother used to be exactly alike. Both would dance around the house and sing. She was such a delight as a child. No matter how hard of a day I had, she would make it better. They both would. Thank you for telling me, Edward. I know it was a difficult task for you. I appreciate you."

Mr. Swan slowly stands to walk out of the parlor for fresh air and to collect himself. Edward stays planted on the chair, staring at the floor. Alice watches the two men the entire time and comes over to sit with her depressed friend.

"Hey, you did the right thing. He had the right to know. He is a very nice man, reminds me of Bella. He never gave up looking for them. He told us that every time he posted anything about their disappearance, it was immediately blocked. He thinks that whoever is responsible for this, tried to erase them from existence too. It makes sense with what Alistair told Emmett. They even erased Bella and Renee's social security numbers and their birth certificates from the state database. Just wiped the slate clean. That is why it has been so hard for him to keep the search up, people began to think he made it all up because he had nothing to prove their lives. All he had were pictures and the documents at his house. That poor man has been through hell and back. He is more determined than ever to find Bella. He has a renewed sense of optimism. It is all because of you, Edward. You gave him hope that he will be reunited with Bella again. He was just about to give up and believe that they were dead. The police tried to declare them legally dead about a year after their disappearance, but he fought against it. Edward, please stop beating yourself up for this. Get up and help find her. You and I both know she is waiting for you to find her, to rescue her for good this time."

Edward looks at Alice with tears in his eyes. He doesn't like to show emotion, everyone knows that. Alice is taken off guard to see her stoic friend crumbling before her. She quickly embraces the tall, tattooed man. He lets out all his emotions, all the feelings that he has had bottled up inside since his parents' crash. Bella made him feel again. She brought him back to life. How could he just sit here and feel sorry for himself? He needs to get up and find her. He must save her like she saved him.


	19. Chapter 19

**_Treat yo self Thursday! Extra chapter! Let me know what you think!_**

 ** _S. Meyer owns characters, I own the story._**

Marcus was a ball of raw emotions when he realizes that someone else has taken his mistress. He scurries out of the building and runs to his car. He drives back to his pitiful house, wrestling with the guilt he feels. He is afraid to tell Savior Aro of his failing. It is because of him that the plan of salvation won't be carried out. He will be sacrificed due to this catastrophic failure. Who else would want her though? Lucifer already had her, it doesn't make sense for him to take her with such force. He saw the blood and wreckage of the living room. The only other person that he could think of is the blonde demon from the pool hall. He had tried to take his mistress before, but Lucifer stopped him. All the evil creatures of the world must be battling for his mistress.

He doesn't know what name the blonde demon is using, or what his alias is. He doesn't work for Lucifer any longer. Marcus knows that the blonde drives a flashy red Corvette. He knows how to hack into computer networks, he does it all the time to stop Bella's father from posting missing persons information. Marcus dashes to his laptop and breaks into the DMV's database. He begins his search for red Corvettes along with an image of the driver's license that the cars were registered to. After much searching, he has narrowed it down to two different men. The first is Riley Biers of Duncan, who has a 2015 red Corvette. He is blonde and has that smug smirk that he has seen often on the demon's face. The other man is James A. Hunter of Lawton. He is also blonde and has the look of a blonde playboy. He looks like he is full of himself. Marcus decides to start with this man, especially since he is closer to his house.

Marcus grabs the rope, tape, gloves, and knife and raced out the door with the addresses of both men gripped tightly in his hand. Marcus is unaware that he too is being watched. He owns an older model, blue four-door car, the same that had been seen this morning by the dishwasher of the café he has been frequenting every day. The dishwasher was able to give the police a very detailed description of the little man with a stocky build, sweaty upper lip, balding with thin wisps of red hair on the sides, and thick black framed glasses. His description included how he slurps his coffee noisily and how he insists on having the window table that has the perfect view of the parlor. The police believe him to be a prime person of interest in the disappearance of the young woman with the warm brown eyes and kind smile.

* * *

Bella doesn't know how long she has been strapped to the table. She is completely absorbed in her prayers and tears. The door abruptly swings open to reveal James. He saunters across the room to her and gawks down at her naked figure. She tightly closes her eyes, turns her head away and tenses every muscle in her body. She can feel him lightly trace his fingers over her skin. She begins to softly cry as he continues.

"Shh, mistress. All is right now. You don't need to be afraid. Our god has watched over you and brought you back to us, to me," he tenderly purrs to her. She turns back to him and opens her eyes. This pleases him, but she quickly starts to fire off questions at him.

"Why do you keep calling me mistress? Who are you really? What's going on?" she demands.

James looks at her thoughtfully, then sighs. He walks around the table she is strapped to several times, gazing at her from every angle that he can, like he is analyzing her. She grows more and more uncomfortable by his actions. He walks to the side of the room and pulls a chair over by her head so that he can be face to face with her.

"Would you like to know how important you are mistress? I think the time has come for you to be told of your role in helping the world."

Bella gasps as she mumbles a soft yes to him. She is watching him carefully as he begins to stroke her face with the fingers of his right hand as he sits to the left of her. She cringes at his touch, he chuckles at her reaction and continues speaking.

"I am a member of a religious assembly that oversees saving mankind. We were told by our god to find a suitable mistress, who was young, that we could prepare to be the perfect mother to mankind. I was chosen to be the father. Our assembly is aptly named, Salvation for the Saved, because we are the only ones who have been assigned to save our god's creation. My brother, Savior Aro, was first visited by our god and told to establish the assembly. He was given a set of rules that we must follow. After a few years, he was visited again and told to find a mistress to fulfill the plan. We needed money to fulfill the plan so we had to enlarge our assembly. I was responsible for scouting wealthy women to become part of our family, who could fund our plan. Most women eagerly joined, left their previous lives, and started over with us. The women who fought, well, they were sacrificed to our god," Bella lets out a soft cry as she further glares at the shameless man in front of her. She wonders how he can tell her this information so nonchalantly.

"As I was saying, our assembly began to grow and grow. Soon, we had well over three hundred followers, all wanting to do something, to have a role in helping to facilitate the plan. Marcus, who you know as he was the one who cared for you as you grew, was put in charge of finding you because he showed great passion for the plan. He sold all his belongings, gave up everything and turned over all his funds to us, just to be a part of the assembly. He did a great job in finding you and your mother. Unfortunately, he killed your mother much too quickly. We had a purpose for her, she was to help continue to groom you for your special day."

"What special day?" Bella asks swiftly.

James brings Bella's hand up to brush his lips over her knuckles, "Why my mistress, it's the day that you become Mistress of Salvation and I become Master of Salvation. My brother will be given the key to the universe as he takes over for our god. You and I are to carry out the plan for salvation. We will be joined on July twenty-eighth, your birthday. Our joining will signify the saving of mankind. Our son will be the future ruler. After you have given birth to a son, you and any daughters we may have will become the ultimate sacrifice to our god. So, you see my mistress, you are very important to us. It's a good thing you came home now, the ritualistic cleansing had to begin today in order to have you ready in time."

Bella's mouth drops open, her eyes are wide. She doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. Everything that has just come out of James's mouth seems ridiculous, though he fully believes what he has told her. This is by far more frightening than her time in the bunker with the man she now knew as Marcus.

"You can't be serious! What is wrong with you people! You can't really believe any of this!" Bella shouts at him. James begins smiling at her while he drops her hand, then his fingers begin to graze her chest. She tries to squirm in an attempt to get away from him.

"My sweet Bella, it is all true. Why would I lie to my mistress? You act like this is all made up. How can you not take the saving of mankind seriously? When you turn twenty-one, you will be of age to be the mother to mankind. You and I will be the reason for the saving of the believers. Everyone else has it wrong. Our god is just, and only loves us, this assembly! He is discouraged by everyone else, he wants to start anew with us! My brother will soon be the new god, I will have many mistresses that will produce many sons. All of my mistresses will be virgins and give birth to mankind's heirs. How can you not be excited to know that our son will be the official heir to mankind?" he furiously demands. The look of anger in his eyes terrifies Bella.

She wonders how she is going to get away this time. She is strapped to a bed, naked, and locked away in a remote room. She starts to analyze the room for anything she might be able to get her hands on. She stops abruptly when James begins to sing a song to her as he continues to run his fingertips over her small frame. She knows the song, it is always playing in her nightmares. It is a John Denver song. She can't stand those songs, they were the only ones she was allowed to listen to in the bunker. It is the same song that was playing when Marcus murdered her mother in front of her. She immediately feels nauseated, she can feel the bile rising rapidly in her throat. Without warning, she vomits in James's face. He jumps away from her, thoroughly repulsed by her actions.

"You are disgusting, you pig! Vomit is an unclean action. Maybe you aren't truly meant to be the mistress. Vomit is a mark of Satan according to our god. I am hopeful that this was a one-time occurrence if not, you will have to be sacrificed, Bella." James roars furiously, turning from her and promptly leaving the room. Two women from earlier enter the room quickly and begin scouring her yet again. James's words and the events of the day come crashing down on her. She vomits again, which disgusts the women as they flee from the room. Well, that's one way to get them to leave me alone Bella thinks to herself. The women come back, this time with a tall, gangly man with curly light brown hair and small glasses that are perched on a long, pointy nose. He wears a murderous glare on his long face.

"You heathen, you better release yourself from this pure creature! Release yourself I say in the name of our god. Release!" the man shouts as he harshly slaps Bella's face repetitively. Bella cries for him to stop. The women behind him continue to stare at her with blank expressions on their faces.

"Demon, be gone with you! You will not ruin our plan! Our god has chosen this creature, you shall not have her!" with this the man picks up a thin board of wood lying on the cart and crashes it over her head. The room begins to spin as Bella is overcome by darkness.


	20. Chapter 20

_**Another chapter! I promise this is a HEA, eventually at least.**_

 _ **S. Meyer is the owner of the characters, I own the plot.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

Edward, Mr. Swan, and the rest of Bella's friends stay in the parlor, waiting for any updates the police might give them. Many members of the parlor's clientele come to offer their help and bring food. Mr. Swan is amazed that Bella has had such an impact on these people. These hard-living men and women are softies at heart. They care about his daughter and for that he is grateful. He then realizes that Bella has the same effect on people that her mother did. Renee could make anyone love her without even trying. She had a quiet spirit, a calmness, yet extreme joy that radiated from her. Mr. Swan is shaken out of his memories by police officers walking toward him.

"Mr. Swan, may we speak to you in private?" Capt. Uley asks as he motions to Edward's office with Officer Black.

"Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of all of us. We are all in this together," Mr. Swan replies as he waves his hand to everyone in the room. Capt. Uley nods his head once and begins speaking to the large group.

"We have had a significant lead. An employee from the café across the street told us of a man who has frequented there daily for about the same amount of time that Bella has been staying with Mr. Cullen. This man is short, stocky with glasses, and has an older make and model blue car. The car matches the description of the one seen speeding away from your parking area behind the building. We have a few names and my officers are on their way to investigate each of these men. We should know more in a few hours. In the meantime, we have set up a phone number for people to call in with any information they have. We have also released Bella's information and photo to the news outlets to gain more awareness of her situation. Do you have any questions?"

"Yeah, I do. What happens when you find her? Are you going to take that monster out? If you don't, I will," Edward states as he rises from his seat. Capt. Uley walks over and stands face to face with the angry man.

"Son, I'm going to act like I didn't hear that because I really don't want to haul you in for threatening a police officer. We will handle the situation as we see fit. You don't need to worry about it, justice will be served according to the law," Capt. Uley tells him in a hushed tone then strides out the door.

Edward sits down quickly and hides his face with his hands. He can't stand this any longer. He doesn't like the unknown, and right now Bella is the unknown. He doesn't know how Mr. Swan has managed to live for fifteen years like this. It has been fourteen hours and he is a nervous wreck. He doesn't know how much longer he can hold out.

Edward doesn't realize that he has just spoken his thoughts aloud. Mr. Swan comes over and puts his hand on Edward's back.

"Edward, the only way I was able to survive these past fifteen years was knowing that God was with me. Renee brought me to the church when we were dating. She told me she wouldn't consider marriage until I studied, and repented of my sins. I was a drinker and fighter back then. I had such a short temper and quite a sailor's mouth. She somehow saw the good in me though. She broke down the walls I had built as a defense against letting anyone in. I had a rough childhood and turned to those vices to deal with my emotions.

I fell for Renee, so of course, I did whatever she wanted me to do. I began to study the Scripture with her and her family. I would go to church with her, not just Sunday but every time the doors were open. I started to pray, not just for me but for those I cared about. My universe went from revolving around me to putting others first. I was baptized after a lot of study by the preacher of our church. I then went on mission trips overseas with the congregation and Renee. It was the best decision that I ever made. During the year that followed, I finally got up the courage to ask for her hand in marriage. She agreed, she said that she knew I was the one because I changed for God and not for her.

So, Edward, that is the only way I can open my eyes in the morning and go to sleep at night. I am comforted by the knowledge that no matter how awful life gets, God is always with me. He is with you also. Don't turn your back on what's in front of you." Edward turns to look the kind man in the face. Mr. Swan softly smiles at him, which Edward reciprocates.

The others quietly join them, sitting on the couches that have been pushed into the middle of the large room. Emmett moves the television to where they are seated and turns on the news. The first image that appears is Bella's smiling face. Mr. Swan takes a deep, shaky breath, staring back at the image before him. Rosalie and Angela cry quietly, Edward refuses to look. He refuses to accept that possibly the last time he would look at her would be on television. He wants to keep the picture in his mind from this morning when he gazed at her sleeping, peaceful face snuggled up to his pillow.

* * *

Marcus went to both men's addresses that were listed on their licenses. The man in Lawton, James Hunter, was not home. His neighbors told Marcus that James said he was going on vacation so he wouldn't be back for a few weeks. That marked him off the list with Marcus.

The next house Marcus went to was in Duncan. That man had died in a car wreck the month before according to the man's widow. When Marcus attempted to ask her about their red car, he had the door forcefully slammed in his face.

Marcus is now back to square one. He knows that he has no choice but to meet with Savior Aro. He has to give up his title, his role in the plan of salvation. With a heavy heart, he turns the ignition and begins to drive to the headquarters located east of Lawton. When he is a few miles away from his destination, he notices blue and red flashing lights in his rearview mirror. Anxiously, Marcus pulls over and cuts the engine. He hand cranks the window down and waits for the officer to come to the window. He looks in the mirror again, taking note that the officer is alone. Marcus feels for his knife, but then remembers he has a loaded gun in his glove box.

"Good evening sir. I need to see your license and proof of insurance."

"Officer, why was I pulled over?"

"You have a tail light out. Now, license and insurance," the officer requests as he holds out his hand. Marcus reaches for his wallet that is on the passenger seat, then opens the glove box reaching in blindly. He feels for the revolver, grasps it and puts his index finger on the trigger. He quickly removes the gun, aiming it at the officer. The officer is taken by surprise and hurries to reach for his own gun. Marcus pulls his finger back and fires off one round after another into the officer's chest. The shot man stumbles backward, eventually falling to his knees, then on his face.

Marcus grins as he peers out of his driver's side window. He listens to the officer's radio going off, requesting the status of the young man's traffic stop. Marcus manically laughs as he swiftly peels away from the scene, leaving the man on the road. When he pulls up to the gray metal building, he is met by five of Savior Aro's protectors.

"Hello, I need to speak with Savior Aro now. Hurry up, do you know who I am? I am the master, and I demand that you do as I say."

The men smirk at him, but lead him into the building to Savior Aro's office. Marcus smiles at the tall, lanky man with wiry glasses and a sharp nose. He notices the man's hair is longer than it was since he last saw him.

"Savior Aro, I have dreadful news. Our mistress has escaped. I know you trusted me with her and I have failed. I did find her, but when I went to capture her she had already been taken. I searched the men who had cars that match the only person who I thought might have taken her. He is a demon who used to work with Lucifer. But our mistress wasn't at those places. Then I was pulled over on the way here and I had to kill the cop. He's on the side of the road. I'm sorry for that Savior. But, I promise I will continue looking for her. Don't give up on me yet Savior!" Marcus cries.

Savior Aro sits silently looking at the sniffling man before him.

"Stop your crying, you fool! What are you talking about? What Lucifer? Have you seen Satan around our mistress? Why did you have to kill the cop? Do you know how much attention that could bring here?"

"Yes, Savior. She has been staying in Lucifer's apartment with him. She has also been in contact with his fallen angels. They have dressed her in worldly clothes, put makeup on her, and even took her to a pool hall. That is where I saw one of the demons try to capture her. I was scared that the cop would arrest me and then I wouldn't be able to search for our mistress," Marcus tells the man quickly.

"Marcus Philatanus, you are excommunicated from the Salvation for the Saved assembly. Your punishment is to be carried out instantly. You will be sacrificed to our god. Protectors, lead him away to the altar," Savior Aro announces piercingly.

Marcus falls to his knees, begging the Savior to spare his life. All the members of the assembly begin to gather at the altar to witness the sacrifice. On his way, Marcus believes that he can hear his mistress screaming. _Yes, that is her! She is safe, the plan may continue!_

"Savior Aro, is that my mistress I hear screaming? Is she here? Oh, what blessing our god gives! If she is here and safe, why must I be sacrificed?"

"You stupid little man. Did you really think that you would be the Master of Salvation? You are not worthy to even say the name. My brother has always been the rightful and most qualified master. He and I were selected by our god for the plan. Caius Dunnaway, could you please come here?"

James steps out from behind the group and stands at his brother's side, smiling at the short, sweaty man.

"No, this cannot be! This thing is one of Lucifer's fallen angels! He is the one that tried to attack our mistress. He cannot be master, he cannot!"

"Shut up! My brother has been going by the alias James Campbell for many years. We have kept him hidden to protect him. He is vital to the plan. Once the plan is commenced, I will take my place as our rightful god. This has always been the plan, we just needed you to do the groundwork and help fund it. You were used for the greater good. Now, you will die for the greater good."

One of the large protectors places a cloth bag over Marcus's head as they lead him to the large stone altar in the front of the room. Two women walk together to Aro with a purple robe so that they can drape it over his shoulders. Savior Aro takes his seat upon his large purple and gold throne. James sits to Aro's right in a smaller purple and silver throne. The beating of loud drums deafens everyone as the sound fills the room. The assembly starts chanting in a unified manner.

"Salvation for the Saved. Salvation for the Saved."

Marcus is led to the altar and stripped of his clothing. He is forced to lie on the cold, stone altar and is then tied down. The protectors work in a coordinated style with each other as they tied each arm and leg down, with heavy corded rope, to anchors stationed beneath the table. The protectors then wrap tape around Marcus's head to secure him to the altar. Savior Aro stands and raises his arms to quiet the assembly. A hush swiftly falls upon the crowd.

"My dear children, we are gathered here to witness the ultimate sacrifice to our god. Marcus Philatanus will be given to our god today. He has done things that could have greatly harmed our way of life. He has lied to us and has kept things hidden from us. He let our mistress runaway. If not for our true master, we would not have the hope of our god's plan of salvation being carried out. Marcus has also just killed a police officer on his way here. He has brought shame and dishonor to himself. We must stop him before he can further shame our assembly and our god.

Now Marcus has accomplished a few honorable things. He did find our mistress and raise her. He chose a perfect female specimen to be the mother of mankind. Although he completed this vital task, he has failed us in numerable ways. Therefore, he must be sacrificed, for it is written that those undeserving of salvation shall be returned to where they came from."

Savior Aro reaches for his large, shiny machete. He holds it high above his head and grasps the handle with both hands, facing the tip of the sharp metal down to Marcus's heart.

"In the name of salvation, I sacrifice thee!" Savior Aro yells as he plunges the machete into Marcus's chest with great force. The bound man's chest sharply rises against the sword. Blood starts to pour out of the wound, traveling down the altar to puddle on the floor. Marcus continues to flail and shriek as he tirelessly fights against the sword. Savior Aro withdraws the machete, only to plunge it back into the man's chest. He repeats this action several times, finally resigning when the man's body lays limp upon the altar.

"It is done. We can rejoice in the happiness this has provided to our god. Now, let us celebrate with a feast. Let us adjourn to the banquet hall. Come my children, do not tarry."

The assembly then files into two separate lines and begins the chant again as they leave the room following Savior Aro and James. Marcus's naked, bludgeoned body remains bound on the stone altar, his blood continuing to pool on the floor.


	21. Chapter 21

_**Getting closer to the end. This story has 29 chapters, so we are close. Please continue to let me know what you think, it makes my heart happy!**_

 _ **S. Meyer owns the characters.**_

Hours turn to days. Days turn into weeks. The volunteers that had once filled the parlor when Bella was first taken, slowly dwindle in number. The media coverage is nonexistent. The only thing there is to remind the city that a beloved friend is missing are the fliers that Edward, Mr. Swan, Alice, and the others put up. Capt. Uley has advised that she is most likely dead at this point. All the tips that had poured in at the beginning of this nightmare all resulted in dead ends. There was only one truly promising lead. A couple driving down a deserted highway east of town came upon a police cruiser with its door open. When the couple slowed down they found the body of a young police officer. Officer Embry Call was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds. When his dash camera was reviewed, investigators found that he had pulled over the same make and model of car they were searching for. The car was registered to Marcus Philatanus of Lawton, Oklahoma. He was a forty-one-year-old white male who lived on the outskirts of the city on a secluded plot of land. A subsequent search of his residence revealed evidence that the man had been involved in Bella's prior disappearance. The police found the bunker that held Bella and her mother prisoner for those fifteen years. They found all the surveillance footage taken from the bunker. They discovered the tape of Marcus murdering Renee, proving that Bella was correct in her story to Edward. Every detail she relayed to Edward was corroborated with the surveillance footage. The land around the house was excavated. Within a few days, the remains of Renee Swan were uncovered from a shallow grave on the west side of the house. Mr. Swan had prepared himself for the findings, but when reality struck his grief overtook him. He had been staying with Edward while the search was active for Bella. Mr. Swan eventually had to leave to go back home after two weeks. His job wouldn't allow him to miss any more work. Edward promised to keep him updated on any developments.

A few weeks later, all the friends are gathered at the parlor trying to persuade Edward to get out of the building for a little while. He adamantly refuses, saying that he needs to be there in case Bella comes back.

"Alice, I hate to say this, but it's been seven weeks. Do you think she is still alive?" Emmett sadly questions. Alice looks over at her Emmett who she loves and regards as a brother.

"I think that she is still out there fighting. She managed to survive for fifteen years in the presence of a monster. She is tougher than she looks. I know we will see her again," Alice gently says to the red-head. Everyone heard the conversation between the two. Garrett adds his opinion, "I agree. She will be back any day. We will find her. We have to, I can't watch that shell of a man anymore. It's depressing as crap."

Everyone agrees. Edward is a shell of his former self. He has lost a considerable amount of weight; his face is gaunt with large purple bags under his eyes. His hair is long and shaggy. He doesn't bother to change his clothes or shower most days. He walks around in a daze. Edward stays in his office pouring over the tips that the police received, hoping he can find something that they missed. He has stopped tattooing, leaving all the clients for Emmett, Angela, and Garrett to work on. Blacked Out Ink is slowly slipping in business. People want Edward to do their tattoos, not his staff. The women stop vying for his attention, they move on to the next thing. His staff are worried about the parlor being able to stay open. The business only thrived because of the work and effort Edward put into it. No amount of work that they can do on their own can revitalize it. Blacked Out Ink needs the old Edward back. The Edward that has their Bella with him.

Emmett and Alice walk into Edward's office and close the door. Edward acknowledges their presence with a nod of the head, then goes back to the papers spread out on his desk.

"Hey bro, whatcha doing?" Emmett asks softly. Edward grunts, continuing to shuffle the papers. Emmett looks at Alice with a pleading look.

"Edward put down the papers and come with us. Let's go up to your apartment, we can cook you something to eat while you take a shower. Then you can get some sleep while we stay up in case Bella comes. We will wake you up as soon as anything happens. How does that sound?" Alice gently nudges.

Edward never lifted his eyes from the papers. "No."

"Edward, come on bro. You need to sleep. You look like crap. Everything around here is going down the toilet. We need Edward back, man," Emmett pleads with him.

Edward looks up and simply replies, "I don't care. I need Bella back."

Alice has had enough of his self-pity. She stands, leans over the desk to get face to face with him and begins poking Edward in the chest with her finger.

"You listen here Edward Anthony Cullen, stop feeling sorry for yourself. Do you think Bella would be happy knowing this is how you have behaved while she has been gone? Letting yourself and the business you love go? She would be pretty mad at you. How are you going to help her when she is found if you can barely function? Get upstairs, take a shower, eat, then sleep. Now!"

Edward looks at both Alice and Emmett with an unreadable expression. They can tell that he is thinking over what has just been shouted at him. He then gets up and walks out the door. As he walks through the parlor several people try to talk to him, but he ignores all of them. Emmett and Alice apologize for him and ask them to be patient as they hurry after him. Emmett sends a text to Garrett, Angela, and Rosalie that Edward finally gave in and is going to listen to them, and that they will be upstairs if they are needed.

"That's a relief, that man has a stench that lingers," Garrett mutters under his breath. Angela rushes across the street to the café to pick up a burger for Edward since they know he likes them. The friends are relieved to see that Edward is finally willing to try to function normally, even if it only lasts for a few hours.

* * *

"Do you know what is in seven days, my mistress? It's the glorious day we have been waiting for," James says excitedly. She keeps the hard scowl on her face as he continues to give her the details of the day.

"We will awaken in the morning, and you will undergo your final ritual preparations. You will be completely shaved and will be given special clean food that day. You must be free from any and all impurities. You will then be clothed in a white gown and will wait patiently for me on the altar. I will also be bathed, but in rose petals and lavender oil. I will be fed a meal of steak and vegetables, then clothed in a royal purple gown, the sign of royalty. I will meet you at the altar in the evening where we will consummate the plan of salvation for the assembly to witness. We are so close now, aren't you looking forward to being the mother to mankind?"

Bella holds her cold stare as she shouts in his face, "No!" Bella has been denied any clothing these past weeks. She doesn't know how long she has been here, but she knows it has been too long. The only food she is allowed is beef broth, which nauseates her. She has learned to control her nausea because of the violent scouring and beating she will receive if she becomes sick. She glances down at her feeble body. She has many scratches, burns, and red, raw skin covering her small frame. She has lost the weight that she had managed to gain plus more. It reminds her of how she looked when she escaped the first time. The memories of Edward crash upon her as tears instantly pour from her eyes.

"My princess, don't cry. It's okay to be nervous, but this must happen. You realize this, don't you? It is imperative for our salvation." James completely misinterprets the reason for her outburst. This makes her laugh hysterically. She can't stop. How can he think that she is nervous? In all actuality, she is praying for death if she can't escape or be rescued by next week. She prays to God, the one and only God to help her, to set her free one way or another. She finds James to be utterly ridiculous in his endless banter. She would be very relieved if she never had to hear the words mistress of salvation again in her life. She continues to laugh as James speaks to her again.

"My princess, I will be away this afternoon. Try not to become depressed. I will return this evening, then I will sing to you," with that he leaves the room. Bella is relieved to finally be alone for a moment. Either the women are around her all the time or the men they call protectors are. She doesn't understand why they feel they need someone in the room. She remains tied down to the table at all times. They have even catheterized her to prevent her from soiling herself. This is their reasoning for only giving her broth. She won't have a bowel movement, which in their view is too vile for a mistress to have. These people are truly out of their minds. They must have complete control over every aspect of her life. The women even scold her if she takes too many breaths per minute, that is unclean as well. She dreams of rolling in the mud like a pig at night. That is her only form of happiness, just her thoughts on what she will do if she ever gets out of this room and free of them.

Bella realizes that she doesn't have much time left. She knows that these people have covered their tracks well. She also knows that Edward won't give up on her, he had promised that he would always protect her. She imagines him breaking down the door and lifting her frail body in his arms then carrying her far away. These are the thoughts that bring her comfort during this nightmare she is immersed in.

* * *

James is driving carefully back to his apartment. He observes all traffic signs and the speed limit. He doesn't want to draw any unwanted attention to himself, especially since he has to drive the car that the police are looking for. When he arrives at the apartment complex, he quickly parks in an inconspicuous spot. He glances at his red Corvette, then walks over to inspect it for any dents or scratches. He runs his hand over the length of the car, admiring himself in the reflection of the paint. The Corvette, to him, is absolute perfection. He is so proud of this car. His brother had purchased it for him as a reward for growing the assembly. Due to James, the assembly now has hundreds of members and millions of dollars. They can do anything they want now. James is living in the lap of luxury along with Aro. It is a stark contrast to how they grew up.

Aro and James were born Lance and Caius Patterson and were raised by their grandmother in Louisiana. Their parents had both died from drug overdoses, causing them to be placed in her care. She thought that the two little orphan boys could do no wrong. They were spoiled and sheltered while they lived with her. When Aro and James were fourteen and twelve, respectively, their grandmother suffered a heart attack. The boys were again left without a home. They became wards of the state, ultimately they were shuffled around to many different foster homes. The foster families tried to make the boys' life decent again, but they refused to cooperate. They demanded ludicrous things such as bath water that had to be one hundred degrees and caviar. The families they were placed with quickly became frustrated with the boys and the chain reaction started over again. They succeeded in not being adopted. When Aro was eighteen he left the care of the state and took James with him. They stole, lied, and cheated their way across the country. They finally endeavored to make a permanent residence in Salinas, California. Aro got a job as a bus driver, while James worked as a waiter. Aro became acquainted with a wide diversity of people and was fast to make friends with all he met. James, on the other hand, polished his skills in the art of seduction. He set about tempting and gaining the trust of the older, wealthy women that frequented the restaurant he was employed at.

Soon, the brothers' welcome in the city wore out. The police labeled them as con artists and put out warrants for their arrests. James had scammed most the older women in Salinas, while Aro's sob story won over the people on his bus who gave him many expensive gifts such as land. The brothers cashed out then moved on to the next town. They had no qualms about continuing to do what they did best. They became rich in every city they stayed in. Unfortunately, their affluent lifestyles left little money to save, thus they had to keep up their scams and continue hopping from city to city. During this time, the brothers adopted many different aliases. Every city was a new identity for the brothers to create. They enjoyed this way of life. One day, Aro came up with the idea of creating a religious sect. He believed it would be an easy way to get money without doing much work. He knew that they could convince simple minded people to give them money and do everything that was asked of them. In the city of Lawton, Oklahoma, Salvation for the Saved was created. Aro robbed most ideas for the sect from movies and other cults that had existed in prior years. He created their doctrine, had it printed and passed it out. At first, there was not much interest, but when James got involved in the recruitment they grew exponentially.

Aro and James enjoy the life they have. They have endless women, money, and luxuries. No one ever would dream of denying anything to their Savior or master. When they are alone, they laugh at the stupidity of the fools that believe every word that they have conjured up.

James snaps out of his memories as he walks into his apartment. He packs more clothes, then chooses to drive his Corvette back to headquarters. James fails to notice the plumbing van sitting in the parking lot. The van houses undercover officers who are on surveillance detail. When James was first spotted, the police were put on high alert. The police have also placed a tracking device on James's car, assuming he would come back for it. In all of their interviews, everyone commented about his love of the Corvette. They said that James was infatuated with his car. Their assumption was correct. The plumbing van slowly, yet carefully begins to trail the unsuspecting motorist.


	22. Chapter 22

_**This is the last update til next week. Let me know what you think!**_

 _ **S Meyer owns the characters, I own the story**_

 _ **Published on Amazon, Running to the Light.**_

It has been five days since the police followed James. In that time, they have uncovered a great deal about him. They discover the existence of the religious sect that was unbeknownst to them. They have realized to what extent the fanatical members will go to in order to protect their so-called Savior. The local authorities realize they are in over their heads, thus they call in the FBI. They need help formulating a plan to save as many lives as they can while bringing the sect down. The last thing they want is for Lawton to be known as the next Waco. The police decide against telling Charlie Swan or Edward about the recent developments. They don't want to get the men's hope up just yet.

Capt. Uley and Agent Leah Clearwater are working together to get their departments informed of all details. Capt. Uley is finally able to get the blueprints to the large gray building that the sect is stationed at. The building has numerous rooms and halls and was built with underground passageways. The two plan to have agents and officers at every possible exit, both underground and above. They know from Marcus's house that the sect is accomplished in surveillance, so they are anticipating this. The two agencies know that once the operation begins, they have to move quickly. Agent Clearwater receives information from the ATF that Aro is under investigation for illegally owning several firearms and bomb materials from overseas. This makes the two in charge even more apprehensive. Capt. Uley and Agent Clearwater are trying to get their details finalized so that in two days they can commence the takedown. Agent Clearwater is given the approval to have ATF agents, snipers, and additional FBI agents at her disposal for July 28th. Everyone involved is given strict orders to keep the operation classified, they don't want the sect to be tipped off. With the use of heat sensitive cameras, they have an estimation of how many people are in the building and where they are primarily located. They pass all this information on to the officers and agents involved in the case. Capt. Uley also briefs the team on what Bella has told Edward. Her story makes sense now that they know what has been happening right under their own noses. Capt. Uley and Agent Clearwater both agree to inform Mr. Swan of the happenings Friday morning, right before the operation will be launched.

* * *

Edward has managed to get out of bed and shower every morning for the last week. He still is having a hard time sleeping and eating, but he believes himself to be improving. Every time he closes his eyes at night, he can see Bella being dragged away, yelling for his help. It is more than he can tolerate, leaving him to make the decision to avoid sleep altogether. He resolves that today, the busiest day of the week for his parlor, will be his first day back. He needs to get back to his craft, to distract himself. Alice and Emmett are beside themselves when he tells them, optimistic of an improvement for their friend. Emmett promises that he will be at Edward's apartment with breakfast today. Right on time, Edward hears a knock on the door. He expects to find the goofy redhead, but instead, Charlie Swan is here. Edward steps back in surprise, to which Mr. Swan takes as an invitation to enter.

"Mr. Swan, what are you doing here? Sorry, that came out rudely." Mr. Swan waves him off, in a rush to inform Edward of what he was just told.

"Son, the cops think they have found where Bella was taken to. Turns out that James character showed up at his apartment last week to get his car. The police were staking it out and had a tracker placed on the car. They were able to follow him back to some sort of compound just outside the city. They apparently have hundreds of people there as well as lots of guns. They are supposed to take them down today. Capt. Uley said we could be there, but only if we stay where they put us. Come on son, let's go! There's a cruiser downstairs to take us there." Mr. Swan urgently runs out the door, while Edward stands in the same place speechless. Emmett walks into the apartment at that time with a bag of breakfast burritos in his hand.

"Yo, why is Mr. Swan running outside and getting into a cop car?" questions Emmett.

Edward feels as if he is moving in slow motion. He can sense that he is moving, but not going anywhere.

"Uh, he thinks they found Bella. He wants me to go with him. Tell the others I'm not coming in today. I'll let you know what happens," Edward informs his cousin in a dead voice as he stumbles out of the door.

Once Edward pushes the door open to the outside, the bright sunlight hits him. He is struck with the memory of Bella, of how she loves the feeling of sunshine on her skin, how she had craved it for so long. Edward is now on his way to her, to his Bella. He suddenly feels a renewed sense of optimism as he runs to the cruiser, joining Mr. Swan in the backseat.

"Son, this could be it. We can finally get her back. I've been praying about this for so long. I've been waiting to have a memorial for Renee. I wanted to wait until Bella was back, so she can have closure too. She's all I have left, I can't lose her now, not when she was so close this whole time," Mr. Swan whispers. Edward glances at the shattered man next to him. This man deserves to have his daughter back, especially since his wife can't return to him. This kind man, who changed his ways and decided to become better shouldn't have been punished like he has. Mr. Swan has accepted Edward and the rest of the group eagerly, without question, treating them all as family. Most people look upon Edward either in desire or disgust due to his piercings and tattoos, but not this man. Edward realizes that Bella has inherited this trait from him.

"Guys, we will be there in five minutes. When we get there, you are under strict orders to stand by the car. If you cannot follow those orders, you will be placed back in the cruiser, possibly in cuffs. Are you clear?" Officer Black questions. Both men nod in agreement. Edward wipes his sweaty palms on the tops of his thighs, his nerves getting the best of him. His breaths are shaky, he can't keep his legs from jumping. He runs his hands through his disheveled hair and rubs the back of his neck out of nervous habit. The anticipation is more than he can handle.

The cruiser is the last of a long procession of police cars and vans driving along the deserted stretch of road. Edward resolves to look out the windshield to distract himself. He sees that the vehicles in front of them are all turning left onto a partially obstructed dirt road. The road is narrow, with many overgrown trees lining the drive. They follow this path for about a mile or so when a white roof comes into view. As they inch closer, Edward realizes that the roof belongs to a large gray building that doesn't have any windows. There are no other cars parked in front of the building, other than the ones they are following and a red Corvette. Edward automatically tenses when his eyes land on that car. He knows that James is involved in this somehow. His reaction to getting fired was too casual.

"Hey, Black, that Corvette—it's James's. I know it's his. He's in there, he did this!" Edward shouts out.

"Relax Cullen, we already know this. We know all about him and his brother. When this is all over, you will be filled in. Let's get out and I will show you both where to wait."

The men exit the cruiser, following the officer to the rear of the car. Mr. Swan and Edward are again reminded of their rules: They are to remain there, no matter what happens and stay quiet. If they can't follow through, they will be put back in the car. The men acknowledge the terms nervously as they shift back and forth in eagerness.

They watch as the officers and agents get into their assigned positions, their firearms ready and bullet-proof vests on. The team works quietly and quickly. If Edward wasn't there for Bella, he would have been impressed by the efficiency of the group.

The order is given to begin. A group of officers break down the door, others rush into the building yelling. The whole structure is surrounded. Edward notices that there are groups of officers in the tree line around the building as well. A helicopter is circling overhead for aerial backup. The two men behind the car hear the screams of women and shouts of men.

Edward and Mr. Swan are abruptly thrown backward harshly. Some sort of explosion, like a bomb, has detonated from inside the building. A cloud of smoke and dirt envelope them as they lay on their backs. Everything starts to happen in slow-motion. Gunshots crack the air from all directions. The sounds coming from the area remind Edward of the Fourth of July. It is as if fireworks are going off in rapid succession. The sound is deafening. Officers are firing their weapons while the people in the building are returning the gunfire. The ground is covered in empty shells and clips. The smell of gunpowder and blood is nauseating. The atmosphere is one of horror. It is surreal, comparable to watching a scene from a movie right before them. The suspense is frustrating Edward. He must see Bella. He needs to hold her again in his arms. Edward wishes to look at her with his own eyes to quiet the uncertainty of her fate.

Edward sluggishly rises to his feet then sets off in a run toward the building. He hurdles over officers lying on the ground nursing their wounds. He can faintly perceive his name being called out but doesn't bother to turn around. The only thing going through his mind is getting Bella out of there safely.

He makes it into the building unnoticed. He begins to search the large area while his body hugs the wall to stay out of the line of fire. His hands cover his ears due to the thunder of gunfire. His eyes are rapidly moving from person to person when he finally discovers her. On a stage in the front of the room lay Bella on a stone altar, dressed in a white gown. She is bound with rope but is attempting to fight James off with all her strength.

"Bella! Bella!" Edward shouts through the chaos. She turns her head recognizing his voice, searching for him. Their eyes lock upon each other as Edward rushes toward her.

"No!" Edward yells as he sees James coming toward Bella. In his hands is a large sword that he has raised above her chest.


	23. Chapter 23

_**Happy Monday! Here is another chapter. Enjoy**_

 _ **S. Meyer owns the characters.**_

This is the day. The day she has been dreading since this horrible nightmare began. It is Friday, her twenty-first birthday. A day that most people are excited about. In a perfect world, she would have a party with friends and family celebrating this milestone. For Bella, however, this is the day that she wishes would never have come.

The preparations for today's event are underway. Her day begins by being scourged by the raven-haired women. It is always the same four women who perform this task on her. They never acknowledge her pleas for help, nor do they make eye contact. Bella has learned to endure the harsh treatment silently.

They remove the catheter that has pained her, much to her delight. She is given a plate of fruits and cheese. She doesn't complain about this, in fact, she devours everything offered on the plate. It has been weeks since she has had solid food. She also relishes the feeling of cool water rushing down her throat.

When she finishes her meal, she is promptly directed to a sterile white room which houses a small narrow bed. She is told to take a nap for a short while. She gladly accepts the opportunity, but regrettably, sleep never comes to her. She is instead overtaken by nightmares of what is to happen to her later. She rises and paces the room. She counts her footsteps from one wall to the other. Exactly thirty steps. She repeatedly recounts, struggling for any form of a diversion. She stops, kneels at the bed on the floor and prays. She fervently prays that God will either end her suffering quickly or that she will be rescued. She realizes praying for these people to have a change of heart is pointless, but does nevertheless. They are worshipping a false idol, a manmade god. They couldn't be further away from the truth even if they tried, but they don't care. They appear to love this way of life, this entirely incorrect way to worship.

There is a loud knock on the door. She stands, waiting for the door to open, not knowing what to expect. The door unlocks and James steps in. Bella instantly tenses while she backs away from him. He wanders over to her as he takes her hands in his, disregarding her fearful stance.

"My mistress, in just three hours the plan of salvation will commence when we are joined together. You shall wear a white gown as you walk to the altar of our god. I will meet you there. I will be clothed in my purple robe of royalty. My brother, Savior Aro will also be on the stage near the altar, he will conduct the ceremony. Before we are united, Aro will take his rightful role as our new god. Are you not excited?" He cocks his head to the side, puzzled by her sickened expression.

"No, I'm not excited! How could I be? You people are crazy. Have you ever read the Bible before? Your brother cannot take over for my God, the one and only God. You are worshipping a false idol. I hope you like Hell since you and all these other people will be there, though not soon enough!" Bella yells at the indifferent man in front of her. He bends and gets right in her face, scowling.

"Listen here you stupid, little tramp. You don't know anything. You will serve your purpose, which is to satisfy me and bear my son. Once you have done that, you will be of no use to me any longer. You will be used up, and I don't like worn out items. Then you will be sacrificed on the very altar which you and I will be using later. If I were you baby doll, I would keep my big mouth shut and go with the flow. Just do everything I say, when I say it and how I say it. If you can obey, you might just live to see another day. For now, my servants will be in to prepare you for later." James turns then walks to the door. As he reaches for the knob, he turns his head and hisses.

"Remember baby doll, obey my every command and it won't hurt as bad." He laughs as he leaves the room. Bella falls to the floor and sobs. She can no longer control herself anymore. She cries for the life she lost, the life she yearns to live, and for Edward. She is thankful that she was afforded just a small taste of a normal life. She is grateful that love had found her, something she never expected. The knowledge that she will never be with him again is excruciating, too much to bear.

The door abruptly opens as the stern women briskly enter. They pull her off the floor by her upper arms and shove Bella out the door. The women drag her down a dark hallway to a dim chamber with one chair in the middle of the floor. She is forced to sit. She isn't tied up, but two of the women keep their hands on her shoulders forcing her not to move.

The two other women begin combing her hair roughly, not at all in the manner Alice had. She slightly grins as she remembers the kind, eccentric woman who was her first friend, besides Edward. Bella had hoped to become even closer to the violet-haired girl, but that isn't to be now.

When the severe women are satisfied with her hair, they make her stand to change her clothes. They pull a snowy white gown of scratchy burlap-like cloth over her head that falls to her bare feet. She shudders when the gown touches her bare, red, raw skin.

Before she can dwell further on the gown, she is ushered out of the room back through the dim hall to a large open area. There are many people here, all sitting on benches facing a stage. As she walks she spots the altar James had mentioned. It is made from large, gray stones piled on top of each other. To the right of the altar are three thrones. One large purple and gold throne with a smaller purple and silver throne to its right. On the left of the large, grand throne is a simple, plain wooden chair. Seated in the middle throne is a man she recognizes. He is the curly haired, disturbing man that she saw the first day she was brought here. He must be Savior Aro, he is also the one who hit her and accused her of being demon possessed. She glares at him as she is forced toward the stage. She sees James sitting in the smaller purple and silver throne with a revolting smile on his face. He is wearing the purple robe he boasted to her about earlier.

She reaches the stage just as James stands to escort her to the altar. He extends his hand to her. Bella stares at it, then remorsefully accepts, knowing that she has no other choice. Together they walk to the altar to stand before the group of the people who have assembled to observe the ceremony.

Savior Aro stands, speaking to his audience. "My children, we are here to witness a momentous event for the history of mankind. You will be able to tell of this day to your children and grandchildren and so on. My children, you all have played an important role in this, and I am proud of you for it. You all will be rewarded with salvation!" The group applauds and cheers at the words Savior Aro has just spoken to them. Bella begins to hyperventilate, knowing that it is too late to get out of this. She knows that her hope of a rescue is now over. As this realization sets in, her body begins to tremble. James looks at her in disgust, then turns his attention back to Aro.

"It is time for our god to relinquish his ultimate power to me. He has chosen me, Savior Aro to be your god now. Arise and worship your god!" he shouts as he raises his arms up, gladly accepting the outpouring of praise that is being directed at him.

Bella turns to James, then asks, "What happened to Marcus?" She is expecting a simple answer, but that is not what she receives.

"My mistress, why do you care? If you must know, he was sacrificed not long after I saved you. That imbecile fulfilled his purpose of raising you, that was all he was needed for. Now pay attention baby doll, our fun is about to start," he mutters to her.

"Thank you, my children! Now you may be seated. As you know, mankind will cease to exist beyond this day if we do not have the two chosen ones fulfill the prophecy. It is written that the chosen man shall be united with the chosen woman the day she turns twenty-one. Their consummation will ignite the plan of salvation. The male child from their union will be the pure heir of mankind. Once the next king is born, our Mistress of Salvation will be bestowed the ultimate honor of being a living sacrifice to me, as will any daughters that may be born from her. For the union to be made valid and fulfill what has been written, we must witness the consummation of the union on the altar before us."

Bella is sweating and shaking profusely. She had no idea of what exactly she was going to be forced into doing against her will. She begins yelling for them to stop, but no one acknowledges her. Four tall, large men forcefully lay her on the altar, then bind her arms and legs with thick corded rope. She is laying on the table with her arms and legs spread out away from her body.

She continues to yell for anyone to help her, to stop this madness. She is crying and screaming, but to no avail. She looks at some of the members in the group and is shocked to see a look of joy on their faces. They are excited, even thrilled to watch as she is about to be raped by this sadist.

She attempts to squirm away from James as he walks to her right side and begins to lift her gown up her legs. Suddenly there is a loud sound of metal falling to the floor. The large men run from the stage in the direction of the noise. Everyone who has gathered sits still, listening for any commotion that may start.

One male voice shouts, "Now." The whole room is now in a panic. The area fills with women screaming and running while the men shout out.

Savior Aro yells for everyone to arm themselves as he leaps from the stage. James stays where he is, with his hands on her legs as he watches the chaos before him in shock. Bella desperately hopes that this is the answer to her prayers. She freezes as she hears an explosion, watching as people fall to the floor not moving. She cannot look away from the destruction. She blinks her eyes due to the heavy smoke in the air, as she now hears gunshots being fired. She can hear the bullets slicing through the metal walls, and the cries of those who are injured.

As the air clears James reinitiates what he had started. He vehemently tries to get on top of her, but she squirms too much for him to be able to stay. Bella continues to shout at him, but he ignores her.

"Bella! Bella!"

She swears that she can hear Edward's voice calling her name. She entertains the thought and turns her head to sweep through the room for the tall, dark-haired man. Just when she is about to brush off the idea that he is actually there she sees him. Their eyes lock as her breath hitches in her chest. She smiles at him. _He's here, he is really here! Thank you, Lord!_ She watches as he runs to her, then as his face changes from happiness to horror. Bella is confused, is he not happy to see her anymore?

"No!" Edward yells out to her. She turns her head to find James standing over her with a sword, the tip pointing at her chest. James looks at Edward sending him a wide smile as he plunges the sword into her chest. The pain is unbearable as she yells in shock. She can't tear her eyes away from the silver metal that is embedded in her. She longs to run her fingers over the blade, just to see if it is as cold as it looks. She can see her reflection in it. She notices that her face is now ashen gray. She can feel the warm pool of blood that she is lying in. The room begins to turn darker as if the sun is setting quickly. She feels hands on her shoulders, shaking her relentlessly. She can't turn her head to see who is touching her. Bella can't hear the screams or the gunfire anymore, she is in complete quiet. The room is now pitch black as she fades out of consciousness.


	24. Chapter 24

_**Last update this week. Couple more chapters left...**_

 _ **By the way, if anyone would like to beta a story I'm working on please message me.**_

 _ **S. Meyer owns the characters, I own the story.**_

"No! Stop, don't do it!" Edward screams again at James. Edward runs as fast as he can to try to get to Bella in time. He reaches the stage just as James smiles evilly at him as he thrusts the sword into Bella's chest. He can easily hear her screams of pain above the pandemonium of the room.

Edward jumps onto the stage, leaping over Bella's body to land on James. He brings the blonde down to the ground, pounding his fist into James's smirking face. Edward grabs the robe draped around James and twists it around his throat, holding it tight.

"You're too late lover boy. Funny isn't it, you should know that I always get what I want. You can't stop us, someone else will take our place," James laughs. Rage overtakes Edward as he pulls the robe even tighter, surprising James as he begins to try to pry Edward's hands off the fabric.

"You know what's really funny, you piece of crap? I'm going to kill you. Now that's hilarious."

James's face turns a dark red as his eyes water. Soon his fighting stops and his breathing ceases. Edward quickly releases the robe and jumps off James's body. He looks down at the man that he has just killed. He thought he would feel relief, to kill the person who harmed Bella but he doesn't. Remorse slaps him in the face. He then remembers Bella. Edward swiftly turns around to see Bella staring at the sword sticking out of her chest.

"Bella, baby look at me. I'm here to save you. Don't worry anymore, I'm here. Baby, look at me. Bella! Bella, don't leave me, I love you. Don't leave me!" He shakes her shoulders, trying to get her attention. She looks up, but her gaze pierces through him as if she can't see him. He shakes her harder, trying to get her to stay with him, as her eyes close.

Edward takes the sword, pulls it out and throws it to the floor. He quickly loosens the rope and removes it from her frail body. Edward carefully cradles her frame to his chest and rushes toward the exit. He dodges bullets still flying through the air as he runs as fast as he can. He rams into many people, knocking them to the ground. He never looks back, he only looks straight ahead to the door.

When he finally arrives, he kicks the door open and rushes out, still with an unconscious Bella in his arms. He runs past the officers firing shots at the building. He runs blindly through the warfare, trying to get to the cruiser he came in. If he can just get her to the car, everything will be okay. He can save her if he can just make it.

* * *

"Cullen, get your rear back here! Cullen!" Office Black yells at the tattooed man on a death mission, running through gunfire to the gray building before them. To his amazement, the fool makes it inside the building.

"Idiot is never going to see the light of day again," he says to himself only to realize that Mr. Swan is standing next to him. The older gentleman gives the officer a look of disgust then returns his gaze to the building.

"Why in the world did that fool run in there? Could you not hold him back or something?" Officer Black questions.

Mr. Swan shakes his head as he looks down. "He was running toward there before I could get any words out." Both men return their eyes to the building, now peppered with bullet holes.

The scene before them resembles war. The air is heavy with gunpowder and hazy with smoke. Their hearing is deafened by the thunder of gunfire. The ground is littered with empty shells and blood. This is what nightmares are made from, and they are a part of it. Little Lawton, Oklahoma, part of a deadly siege. After today, the world would know about their small town.

Mr. Swan's mouth falls open as he takes a few steps toward the building. He stops, then falls to his knees, bringing his hands up to cover his mouth. Officer Black steps carefully forward to get a better look at what the man is staring at. To his disbelief, he sees Edward running with a woman dressed in white cradled in his arms. That must be Bella, he thinks to himself.

"Hold fire, hold fire, let him through!" Officer Black shouts, trying to be heard over the commotion.

Edward never stops running, he runs past the two men over to the cruiser they arrived in. Mr. Swan scampers after the pair, while Officer Black calls in that Bella is out of the building and requests that the medics come to their location. When he reaches them, he is shocked to find Bella still cradled in Edward's arms, bleeding.

"What happened to her?" the officer shouts.

"James stabbed her as soon as he saw me. He was about to force himself on her. She was tied down to some altar or something on a stage. I don't know what was going on in there, I saw Bella and started running to her. Then James stabbed her, he stabbed her right in front of me. I jumped him then choked him with his robe. Then I took the sword out of her chest and untied her and just ran. I ran until I could get her to this car. She will be okay now, she's safe now. She's safe now." Edward continues to repeat the last few words, over and over.

"He's in shock, they will want to check him out at the hospital too," Officer Black explains to Mr. Swan. The older man shakes his head, keeping a strong hold on his daughter's hand. He won't let go. He must touch her, to make sure she is real.

The medics arrive and try to take Bella out of Edward's grasp.

"No! You can't have her! You can't hurt her! I will protect her," he yells at them.

Mr. Swan quickly puts a hand on Edward's shoulder, "Son, they are here to help her. You did good Edward, but let them fix her up so she will be okay. Let her go, you can still stay with her. All of us will stay with her. Just let the nice boys fix her now, okay?"

Edward stares at Mr. Swan, then slowly removes the vice grip he has on her. Officer Black nods at the medics, and they carefully remove Bella from Edward and place her on the nearby gurney. They immediately place her in the ambulance and begin their assessment. Mr. Swan pulls Edward to his feet and leads him to the ambulance and they both get in. Officer Black escorts the ambulance to the hospital with lights and sirens. The county hospital is aware of the situation, as they have already had eight officers brought in with gunshot wounds.

The fifteen-minute ride to the hospital is the longest ride that Edward can remember ever taking. He watches in horror as each gauze pad is thrown to the floor, saturated with Bella's blood. One medic is pumping her full of different medications, while the other is putting an oxygen mask on her face and EKG leads to her chest. Bella's breathing is gurgled, almost like she is being held underwater. The medics are talking to each other in medical lingo that Edward doesn't understand. The driver is relaying all that the two medics say back to the hospital for further instruction.

Edward hates that he can't do anything right now to help her. He is gripping his knees, trying to focus on breathing. He is trembling with fear as he suffers, watching blood from the gurney drip to the floor. He feels a hand on his back. He turns to his right to see Mr. Swan patting him on the back, not as much out of comfort, but also to ease his own suffering as he watches the same scene.

"Lost her pulse," the medic yells. One man begins to frantically inject Bella with more medications while the other starts chest compressions. Edward's breathing stops as he watches in horror. He can't move, he sits trembling. The seconds feel like days as he continues to stare at her hand that is hanging off the gurney. He hopes that if he stares hard and long enough that it will move. He begins to pray to God that He brings her back to him. "Got a pulse, it's weak but its back," the medic shouts. Edward sighs in relief as tears of thankfulness fill his eyes.

The ambulance pulls to a stop in the emergency bay of the hospital. A team of nurses and technicians open the doors and grab the gurney. They quickly push Bella into the hospital as Edward and Mr. Swan hurry to keep up. The men are stopped in the waiting room, just before they entered through the guarded double doors of the emergency room.

"Gentlemen, we need you to wait here. We will update you as soon as we can," a gray-haired older lady in green scrubs tells them. The badge dangling from the lanyard around her neck reads J. Stanley, RN. She gives a kind smile, that doesn't reach her eyes, to the men as she turns to join the team working on Bella. Edward doesn't put up a fight, he walks dejectedly to a hard chair in the corner of the room next to a window. Mr. Swan takes a seat next to him. The two men sit in silence.

"Here, take this. Don't say anything snide about me being nice to you either, or I'll dump it on your lap," Officer Black tells Edward and Mr. Swan as he hands both men a cup of coffee.

"We have some men outside to keep the press away. They caught on and want details and passed it on to the national level. Just be prepared when you try to leave, they are going to be swarming soon."

The waiting room of the hospital begins to fill with friends and officers. Several officers were transported to this hospital along with Bella, and their families are slowly being brought in to wait for news also. Bryce, Alice, Chelsea, Elise, and Scot come to wait with them. The atmosphere of the room is stressful, they have had no updates on Bella's condition yet. The families of the officers that were brought in after her have been talked with by the doctors working on them. It makes Edward feel even more desperate. He keeps thinking about how he will handle life if she doesn't make it. The thought makes him sick.

Gradually, the waiting room begins to empty out. Soon, just Edward, Mr. Swan, Officer Black, and their friends are left. Several hours have passed and they still haven't heard anything. Just when all hope seems lost, a doctor opens the double doors, walking toward them.

"Mr. Swan? May I speak with you in a private room?" she says as she gestures to a room behind her.

"No, whatever you say can be said in front of everyone here. We are all her family," Mr. Swan calmly replies. The doctor shakes her head and continues.

"I'm Dr. Denali, the surgeon on Bella's case. As you know, she was brought in with a massive penetrating chest wound. Her injury punctured her left lung, broke two ribs on the right, and caused some damage to her diaphragm. Her lung filled with blood. We inserted a chest tube which resolved that issue. I stitched her diaphragm, and luckily the wound didn't include her heart. She had some hemorrhaging that we controlled, she is receiving blood transfusions. Her injury is not life-threatening, but due to her poor health status when she arrived, her body is reacting below par to treatment. It appears from her weight and blood work that she has been severely malnourished. That will cause her to heal very slowly. At this moment, it's touch and go. We have her stabilized in the ICU. Only two can see her now. Be warned, she is sedated and is on a ventilator to give her lungs time to heal. There is a waiting room up there where your family and friends can wait. I will keep you updated through the night. Do you have any questions?"

Edward and Mr. Swan are in shock. There is a chance that Bella won't come back to them. They shake their heads at the young doctor.

"Okay, if you think of any the nurses up there can page me. If you would please follow me." Dr. Denali guides the group to the elevator to take them to the third floor. When they arrive, the doctor leads Edward and Mr. Swan through a wide hallway to room seven. They can see Bella lying on the bed through the glass door of the room. Edward's breath hitches as he stares at her lifeless, pale body.

The doctor slides open the door, walking to Bella to check her vitals. Edward and Mr. Swan cautiously follow, careful to avoid touching any tubes or leads attached to her frail body.

"The next twenty-four hours are critical. There will be either doctors or nurses in here often to check on her condition. Please talk to her, and touch her. She can hear and feel you. If you have any questions, please ask the nurse to page me," Dr. Denali informs them as she leaves the room.

"You can stay with her first, I'll wait out here. You need to be with her," Edward tells Mr. Swan as he leaves to stand outside the room. The older gentleman nods his head as he takes a seat on the bedside chair.

Edward stands for a while in the hallway before sliding down the wall to sit on the floor beside his love's door. Occasionally he glances behind him through the door. He feels like he is intruding on a special moment between father and daughter. He observes Mr. Swan tightly grip her hand in his and lovingly caress her cheek. He can tell that the father is softly talking and singing to the small woman.

Edward thinks to himself how bittersweet this moment must be for her father. This may be the last time he sees his daughter alive, and she is in this condition. He may never see her gorgeous, bright, lively eyes open and excitedly looking at him. He may never hear her sweet voice talk with passion to him. It makes Edward's heartbreak for the man, to know he has experienced more with this woman than her own father has.

Suddenly a monitor blares piercingly. Edward thinks it is coming from the room next to them, but to his alarm, it is Bella's. He jumps to his feet and panics as he looks through the door. Mr. Swan is shaking Bella, begging her not to go. People in scrubs push past Edward into the room with a red cart. More nurses arrive and escort Mr. Swan out of the room. They draw a curtain across the room to shield the men from looking in, but it doesn't block the desperate shouting of the nurses and doctors. Both men stand in shock, shaking as they wait for Bella to come back.


	25. Chapter 25

_**Sorry for the delay in updating, life has gotten in the way. Between church, homeschooling three strong-willed daughters and everything else I'm ready for a break from everything!** _**_Enough_** _ **about that...I will try to update again this week but no guarantees! Thanks as always, and please let me know your thoughts on the chapter!**_

 _ **The characters belong to S. Meyer**_

Edward and Mr. Swan stand motionless outside the ICU room. Neither man dared to take their eyes away from the light blue curtain swaying behind the glass door. Edward is watching as the silhouettes seem to dance on the other side of the partition. It mesmerizes him, distracting from the terror he is feeling in his heart.

Abruptly the curtain is thrown back as the team rushes past the men with Bella. She is urgently wheeled out of the room toward the surgical wing on the other side of the hospital floor.

"She is hemorrhaging, she needs surgery now. Go to the waiting room and someone will update you soon," calls out a nurse who is running behind the bed. Edward and Mr. Swan continue to stare after the scene before turning to sluggishly walk to the waiting room. When the men arrive, they are greeted by anxious friends.

"How is she? Is she awake?" Alice questions before Edward takes a seat down in an uncomfortable green chair in the center of the room. Edward looks at his wringing hands in his lap.

"I didn't go in with her. There was a problem and they just took her back to surgery," he gruffly answers, not making eye contact. A hush comes over the room as what he has just announced sinks in.

"Mr. Swan, did she say anything to you? How did she look, you know, before that?" Emmett asks.

The older gentleman sighs, rubbing his face roughly. "She wasn't awake, she is on a ventilator. She is so small, frail, and cold. She looks just like her mother though, she's beautiful," he whispers as tears fill his eyes. Edward can't bear to look at the broken man. He knows he will lose his resolve and break down. He doesn't believe in showing weakness, so he is keeping all his fear and anxiety bottled up. He believes he should be stoic, even if it's killing him inside.

"If it's okay with everyone, I think we need to say a prayer for Bella," Garrett tells the group as he steps forward. The room quiets as they look at him questioningly. The group cannot believe that Garrett has suggested that they should pray. He is the last person they would ever think to request such a thing.

Edward stands up and walks to Garrett, taking his hand in his own. Alice joins Edward and does the same to him, eventually, everyone is standing in a circle as Mr. Swan leads them in prayer.

Anyone who walks into the waiting room will find a group of tattooed, pierced, dyed people holding hands in a circle and praying fervently along with an older gentleman who is leading the prayer to God. He prays for his daughter to return to good health, quickly with no pain. He prays for the medical team to help her. Mr. Swan prays for the officers and agents who are wounded and their families as they heal and move past this situation. He prays for the group with him in the room, that their love will help each of them heal together. He prays for the town to rally together and support each other. When he finishes the prayer, there is not one dry eye in the room. Everyone is touched by the sincerity of Mr. Swan's words.

Once everyone regains their composure, Angela attempts to lighten the mood of the room. She talks about the first time that Edward brought Bella down to the parlor.

"He came down first and warned all of us to not cuss around her and to be on our best behavior. He really gave it to us. He has been protecting her since day one. He left and came back with this little bright-eyed lady with a gorgeous face. She was so happy and joyful, completely opposite from Edward. He was usually so grumpy and moody, but when he met her he changed. He started laughing and cutting up with us. She changed him for the better. We all knew he was falling for her. We had even made a pool of when he would fall in love, right before he met her, then once she came along Garrett collected big time!" Everyone in the room laughs except for Edward.

"You had bets on when I would fall in love with someone? Were you not busy enough at work, should I have had you scrubbing toilets or something?" he asks scornfully. The group unsuccessfully attempts to suppress their laughter, but Emmett is unable to hold back.

"Man, she had you whooped from the start. She is the best thing that ever happened to you. Don't worry, she will be alright. I just know it. She's family now, we are all here for her. We all love her, not just you," the red-head says honestly.

Edward nods his head and resumes staring at his hands while others talk around him. He doesn't feel like participating in their conversations.

Dr. Denali enters the room and silences everyone with her arrival. Mr. Swan stands to meet her.

"Is it alright that I speak to you here or would you like to go somewhere private?" she asks Bella's father.

"Here is fine, how is she?"

"We stopped the bleeding. She is still ventilated and has the chest tube to keep the blood in her chest cavity from building up again. She had a clot that was blocking the tube, causing the blood to build up. She is getting her color back and her vitals are stable. She is not out of the woods yet. It is touch and go for the next twenty-four hours. I'm hoping to remove the vent tomorrow, so her lungs can get stronger. The longer the vent is in, the longer her recovery will be. We will keep her over here in recovery for another hour or so before we move her back to ICU. Don't give up hope, she is a fighter," Dr. Denali states as she returns to the recovery room. The room sighs in relief and hugs each other, thankful that Bella is still here. Edward refuses to be happy. He will only allow himself happiness when she wakes up and is okay. He looks around, becoming infuriated as he witnesses everyone celebrating Bella's status.

"What is wrong with you people? She is still critical. How can you be celebrating that she just had a second surgery in one day? That she could have died just now, again. Yay, Bella has a ventilator and a chest tube. Hurray. You people make me sick," Edward lashes at his friends. They give him quizzical looks as they file out of the room. Mr. Swan stays behind and sits next to him.

"Son, let it out. You can't keep it all bottled in. Believe me, I tried and about had a nervous breakdown a few months after they were taken. Listen, I've been where you are, I'm there with you now. Lashing out at your friends and pushing them away isn't going to help. You either need to talk or cry. Your choice," Mr. Swan kindly says.

Edward can't look at him. He realizes that he has just behaved like a jerk and is now embarrassed.

"I just don't want to get my hopes up. I know that's wrong. I can't let myself get excited about her being in pain. I won't do it. They are making me so angry, I know it isn't right to lash out. I just can't lose her, I can't make it without her. I love her, she opened my world up. She makes the sun shine brighter and the air I breath sweeter. Whatever is bothering me doesn't even matter once I'm near her. I'm sorry to tell you all of this without her, but I know she's the one for me. I believe God led her to me for more than one reason. I was meant to save her life, but actually, she saved mine."

Edward exhales deeply and looks at the man next to him. He expects to find the man to be angry with him, after just telling him that he loves his daughter. Mr. Swan, however, seems to be delighted. It takes Edward off guard.

"Edward, I have always dreamed of a man saying what you just did to me about my little girl. I'm glad she found you. I know you love her, and she must love you too. Everything will turn out for the best. You heard the doctor, we can't give up hope. She is in God's hands now. All we can do is sit back, pray, and wait."

* * *

Edward apologizes to his friends for his outburst. They don't hold it against him and continue to support him. The first night Bella stays in the hospital is uneventful after the emergency surgery. She gradually begins to recover. The ventilator is removed the following day since she can breathe on her own, though she doesn't wake up.

Waiting becomes a torturous pastime for Edward. He wakes up in the waiting room, then waits for his love to awaken. He sits at her bedside gripping her small hand in his. He falls asleep every night the first week, hoping to see her dark doe eyes again. He alternates nights he stays with her in the hospital room with Mr. Swan. They take shifts during the day so that she will never be alone. Alice coordinates a list so that someone different can bring the men food every day. Emmett steps up, assuming the responsibility of making sure Blacked Out Ink is functioning well. He pays the bills and makes out the paychecks. He even pays Edward's personal bills and makes sure his fridge is stocked with in date food.

The days they wait for Bella add up slowly. It is the same routine every day. Sit and wait. Edward and Mr. Swan are very well acquainted with the nurses on the floor, down to their children's names and hobbies. The large, scary tattooed man becomes a fast favorite with the night nurses. They comment on how polite and kind he is, and how devoted he is to the frail woman. When Edward walks down the hallways of the hospital, he greets each staff member by name. Many of the staff promise to come to him for a tattoo when he is back to work. He enjoys the thought of seeing them again, though in a better circumstance.

Thirteen days after the incident in the gray building Bella begins to awaken. Edward is sitting in her room, holding her hand while mindlessly staring out the window. He feels a twitch from her hand but doesn't think much about it at first. When the same hand squeezes him, he jumps out of his seat, shouting for Bella's nurse.

"Emily, Emily come here!" he shouts at the older nurse on duty. The gray-haired, plump lady rushes in surveying the monitors in the room. She moves to where Edward is, reaching for Bella's hands. She squeezes them, checking the woman's reflexes. Bella squeezes back. Emily pages Dr. Denali, then continues her assessment. She tests Bella's pain reflex by pricking her foot with a needle. Bella's face scrunches up in discomfort. Edward looks at the nurse, Emily smiles at him in return.

"I believe your honey is trying to wake up sweetie. Dr. Denali is on her way."

Edward quickly texts Mr. Swan and the man hurries to the room. When the doctor arrives, Bella is attempting to open her eyes. She is moaning and whimpering, all of which make the men delighted. Her moans are like music to their ears. She is waking up, finally.

"Bella. Bella, good morning. I'm Dr. Denali, I've been taking care of you along with a lot of other people. We are ready to see your pretty eyes. Why don't you try now to open them? Your dad and boyfriend are here, they want to see them too. Come on Bella, try for me."

Bella gasps at what the doctor is telling her. She grabs at anything close to her, Edward offers his hands which she tightly takes hold of. She squeezes them as she begins to blink rapidly. Once she finally has her eyes open, she then tries to focus in on the faces in front of her. Bella begins to cry as she turns her head from Edward to her dad. Everyone in the room is overcome with emotion, even Dr. Denali and Emily have tears in their eyes.

"Daddy," she softly rasps out.

Mr. Swan reaches over and hugs her to him while laughing boisterously. She lets go of one of Edward's hands and hugs him back.

"My little girl, I finally have you back. I'm not letting you go again. I love you so much. My little Bella!" he softly speaks to her as he continues to hug and rock her gently. When he releases her, she turns her gaze to Edward.

"Hey you, you're wearing my shirt," she tries to laugh. Edward looks at her in amazement, still trying to comprehend that she is really talking with him. He leans over and kisses her on the lips, gently and passionately. He pulls away and looks down to see that he is indeed wearing the Led Zeppelin shirt that she had worn the first day she stayed with him. He knows at that moment that she will be okay. They will be okay.


	26. Chapter 26

**_Happy Monday! Just a couple of chapters left, enjoy!_**

 ** _S. Meyer owns the characters, as always._**

The next morning, Bella gazes around her room, her attention stopping on her father who is asleep in a chair near her bed. He looks so different than how she remembered him. It has, of course, been fifteen years since she has last seen him, but he has more than just physically changed. He seems broken. She knows that she must tell him about her mom, his wife. He needs closure to move on.

"Dad," she whispers to him, not wanting to alarm him. Mr. Swan stirs, rubbing his eyes then remembering where he is. He quickly moves from his chair to her bed, grabbing her hand in his.

"Bella, are you okay? Do you need something?"

"I'm ok Dad, I need to tell you what happened to us. When that man took us. I need to tell you about Mom."

The older man shakes his head, knowing that they need to talk about the past events.

"We should get the officer in here, he's been waiting around for you to wake up to question you about all of that. Would that be alright with you? That way you only have to relive it once, and not over and over. I don't want to see you in any more pain than you have to be in," Mr. Swan tells her. Bella agrees and he leaves to find Officer Black.

While by herself in the room, she tries to pat down her unruly hair and straightens her hospital gown out of nervousness. Her door opens revealing her dad and the officer.

"Miss Bella, I'm Officer Black. I have been on your case since you were last reported missing by Mr. Cullen. If you don't mind, can you tell me any details you remember from your first abduction, then if you are up to it, I need to ask you about the last abduction also."

"I'm not up to it, but I need to do it. Are you ready now?"

Both Officer Black and her dad nod at her. The officer takes a seat in a chair by the window, while her dad takes the chair by her bedside and takes her hand in his. She takes a shaky breath and begins.

"I remember that day, the day everything happened. Mom decided that we should surprise you and come up for a visit. I don't remember what day it was, but I think it was spring because I remember looking out the window at the bluebonnets on the side of the road. Mom kept up with the days and years while we were in the bunker. When she was gone, I didn't care anymore." Bella wipes a tear from her cheek and takes a shaky breath.

"It was a Thursday. March 18, 2002. That day is engraved on my heart, it's the day my world stopped. I knew you were still alive though, I never stopped searching for you both. Even when everyone encouraged me to give up, I couldn't," her dad gently tells her.

Bella nods her head, wiping away more silent tears.

"I'm glad you didn't give up. I did forget a lot of things. I couldn't remember our hometown, just that it was in Texas. I forgot your face and what your voice sounded like. The only thing I could remember about you was that I have your skin color. I remember camping and looking at the stars with you. You would tell me that your love was constant like the stars. Is that right or did I imagine it?"

"It's right. I'm glad that that stayed with you. I thought about you and your mom every day. It was so hard to try to go back to living a normal life without you both. I eventually had to, and it pained me. I felt guilty going through our normal routine, not knowing where you were or what you were going through."

"I love you, Daddy. I never stopped, even when I forgot just about everything," Bella cries as she leans over to hug him to her. He reciprocates and cries into her hair, murmuring his love for her. They remain embraced for a few moments before regaining their composure.

"I need to tell you everything. Are you ready for me to continue?" she asks quietly. Her dad nods his head as he holds her hand.

"Do you remember how mom would always get lost and call it taking the scenic route? That's what happened, and we ended up on a dirt road, then the van got a flat. So, we were on this deserted dirt road in the country with a flat. She tried changing it. She was working on it when a car came by. It drove past us then stopped and backed up to our van. It was an older kind of car, really long. Mom told me to stay in the van and she went out to talk to the person. I watched in the side mirror at them. The man that came out of the car was shorter and balding with a little bit of red hair on the sides of his head. He had big, thick glasses and wore older styled clothes. He was quiet but gave off an unsettling feeling. He told mom that he could help us, but he needed help getting some tools out of his trunk. I watched her follow him to the back of his car from that side mirror, then I heard her scream. I got out of the van and ran to her, I wasn't even thinking that the man had done anything to her. I was just scared that mom was hurt or something.

When I got to her she was laying on the road and her head was bleeding. I couldn't move, I was so terrified. I had never seen mom hurt before. Then I felt someone grabbing my arms from behind me, and then a cloth was pushed over my face, then it was black." Bella reaches for a tissue from the side table to wipe away her constant flow of tears.

"I woke up and tried to move, but I was tied up. I was lying in a dark room that felt like it was moving. I tried to scream but something was in my mouth," Bella continues to tell the officer and her dad about being in the trunk of the man's car and being carried to the bunker.

"The man, who I was told by James was named Marcus, then carried in mom who was still not awake. I laid down on the floor next to her, waiting for her to wake up. When she finally came around, she began screaming for help. I was still too scared, all I could do was cry. Mom told me to be brave and to help her. We both started screaming, Marcus must have heard us. He came down the stairs of the bunker and told us to shut up. He said if anyone heard us he had rigged the door to a bomb that would go off if anyone but him opened it.

The bunker he kept us in was so small. It had a little kitchen, bathroom, and a living space. It only had two doors, one for the bathroom and one to the outside. The bunker wasn't big enough for both of us, let alone one person. Marcus said that we were kidnapped to save us from evil. He told us that he was trying to rid the world of evil and would remove the evil that was already inside of us.

We were ordered to strip off our clothes so we could be cleansed. Mom pleaded with him to let us go. She told him that we wouldn't tell anyone, and it could all be forgotten. He stepped up to her and slapped her hard across the face. He shouted at her to never speak unless spoken to. He led us to the bathroom and turned the water on all the way to hot. He hooked a hose up to the faucet and began to spray us down. The water felt like it was boiling. He then got a brillo pad and scrubbed our skin so hard. We had burns and scratches from that cleansing. Mom and I ended up with scars every time we had to be cleansed for our sins. He made us put on clothing that he thought was appropriate after he was done.

Marcus brought a little bit of food, barely enough for one of us. He said it had to last us for seven days. We were ordered to read and study the Bible every day. He told us that he would know if we were obedient to him.

We had to keep the bunker clean, up to his standards. He gave us hospital grade cleaner that smelled awful. The fumes from the cleaner made us sick each time. There were no windows or vents to air out the place. We were only allowed one candle to last seven days also. We were given one sleeping bag to share and had to sleep on the floor. Needless to say, we didn't sleep much. We were too scared to sleep anyway." Bella stops to get a drink and calm herself down before continuing. Officer Black rubs his face, clearly feeling stress from listening to what a young Bella has had to live through. Mr. Swan silently cries while listening to his daughter, horrified at what she and his wife had to endure.

"The first few days mom refused to follow his orders. She thought that maybe if she made him mad enough he would get fed up and let us go. She was wrong, he punished her instead. He beat her with a horse crop while she was naked. I had to doctor her wounds. We quickly figured out that he had the bunker outfitted with cameras to watch our every move. That's how he knew if we obeyed or not.

He brought in some fairy tale books and a set of encyclopedias. He had ripped out the endings of all the fairy tales. Mom would whisper the endings to me though. Mom taught me with the encyclopedias and taught me how to read with the Bible. She didn't want me to be behind when we were rescued. We prayed all the time that we would be rescued soon.

Mom would sing a lot, especially when we were about to give up hope. She kept track of the days by asking Marcus indirectly, but he caught on to what she was doing and she was punished for it. He never beat me, just her. He said he was keeping me pure for a special event. I had no idea what he was talking about, but mom did." Bella takes a few trembling breaths while closing her eyes to calm herself. After a minute, she begins again.

"A couple of years later, I guess I was around twelve, mom began to secretly teach me ways to defend myself. She told me that if I could get away to run and never stop. He must have heard her one day. He came barreling through the door of the bunker and grabbed her by the throat. He then threw her to the floor, jumped on top of her, and began choking her. She tried to fight back, but he was too strong. The more she fought, the tighter his hands were on her. I was frozen where I was, crying and pleading with him to stop hurting her. He slapped me and told me to shut up. Mom turned her head and told me she loved me, then she stopped breathing. Her eyes went blank. I knew she was gone. He hauled her body up the stairs, I never saw her again." Bella begins to violently sob. Her dad embraces her, crying himself. He feels as if he is reliving that moment along with her.

"I need to finish Daddy," she whispers to him, he sighs and nods.

"I spent the remaining years cleaning, cooking for myself, and reading those horrible encyclopedias over and over. I was growing, but I was never given any new clothes. I received less food for the week. I was starting to give up. I prayed for God to let me die. I had dreams of running. Running outside, far away from that dungeon. Those dreams gave me hope that I could get away. I always thought about what mom taught me about attacking someone.

When my food was out, Marcus came with more. That day I waited for him at the bottom of the stairs, he must have been in a hurry because he didn't lock the door behind him. I held out my arms to take the bag of food from him, but I slapped him hard across the face instead. It knocked his glasses off, I took the opportunity to poke him hard in the eyes. He fell to his knees and yelled at me. I then kicked him between the legs as hard as I could. He started rolling back and forth on the floor, shouting that he was going to destroy me. I don't know why I did it, but I reached behind me and grabbed the frying pan. I ran up to him and slammed it over his head. He stopped moving, and I didn't think anymore. I bolted up the stairs and threw open the door. The sun blinded me but it felt wonderful. I began running, I didn't know where I was going, I just ran. I fell a lot, I didn't have any shoes, and I could barely see anything. Each time I fell, I got back up and kept running. I kept chanting to myself to keep going. It was a long time before I came to a road and followed it. I eventually came upon some buildings, it was late and dark out. I saw the lights of the buildings and ran toward them, hoping someone there could help me. I ended up almost being attacked by some strange man, but Edward heard me scream. He scared off the man and helped me. He took me to his parlor to clean up my scratches from running and falling. I was so exhausted that I fell asleep before he could bandage me. He didn't know what to do with me, so he took me upstairs to his place and let me sleep on the couch.

He wanted to call the police, but I begged him not to. Marcus said if I ever got away he would find me. He said he would convince anyone that I was supposed to be with him. He said he erased anything about me, and it was like I didn't even exist anymore. I believed every word he told me. I thought if the police knew, I would end up back in that bunker or that he would kill me." Bella pauses, looking over at Officer Black. His face mirrors the alarm he feels at her statement.

"I'm sorry for making Edward not tell you. I was just scared. You must understand that I believed anything Marcus told me. I didn't have any reason not to, he killed my mom in front of me. I was terrified."

"Look, I understand. I was angry with your boyfriend when I first found out, but now I get it. What you have had to live through, no one and I mean no one should have to go through that. It amazes me that you are still caring and happy despite everything. I can see why Mr. Cullen is so protective of you, I would be too. I keep thinking about my daughter, she's six. I don't know what I would do if that happened to her. Mr. Swan, you are a strong man too."

Bella smiles at the officer. She agrees, her dad is a strong man.

"Miss Bella, do you think you can tell me about your second abduction?" Bella nods.

"There was a knock on the door, I thought Edward forgot his keys. I opened the door without checking the peephole, when I saw it was James I tried to shut it. He kicked it open on me, knocking me to the ground. I tried to get up, but he grabbed me. He threw me against different things in the living room before he put something over my face and I blacked out. When I woke up I was in a dark shed, there were gardening tools all around. James was there and told me to be quiet so his neighbors wouldn't suspect anything. He kept putting that cloth over my face and knocking me out until I woke up in the back of a car. That's when he took me to the big building. I was brought in and scoured like I was when I was in the bunker, but by very stern women who wouldn't talk to me. They catheterized me, and I was only allowed to have broth. They said that it was unclean to use the bathroom, that I had to stay pure. I was tied to a table and left naked the entire time. James would come in and talk to me and try to touch me. He said that I was needed for their god's plan of salvation. I was going to be the mother of mankind, Mistress of Salvation. The day of my twenty-first birthday would be the day their plan would take place. I was to be given to James to have a son that would be heir to the world. He said as soon as I had a son I would be sacrificed to their god and any daughters that I might have too.

James told me that his brother was the Savior Aro, and he was going to become the new god. They were crazy. I was more terrified of them than I ever was in the bunker. He said they killed and sacrificed Marcus to their god because he let me escape. I had no idea when I was in the bunker that that was the reason I was being kept. James told me that I was chosen and groomed from a young age to fulfill the duties of mistress.

One time I got sick and threw up, they brought in that Aro guy and he said there was a demon in me. He picked up a board and hit me on the head to cast it out. They are insane, all of them.

James told me that his main job had been to recruit. He would seduce the women so that they would give their money to him and leave their families to become servants. If they didn't want to do what they were told, they were also sacrificed. I was mainly confined to a small room, tied to a metal hospital bed. The only people I really saw were the women and James. I prayed so much that if I couldn't be rescued that God would let me die before my birthday.

The morning of my birthday they woke me up. I was bathed, shaved, and finally allowed to eat some solid food. Then I was led to the stage of the big room and bound on a stone altar. Then there was a loud noise and a large man yelled that it was time. Everyone began screaming and running. They were grabbing guns and shooting. I think a bomb went off, I don't really know there was so much chaos. I don't really remember many details about when I was in the building. I was so hungry and cold, only James talked to me. I just really remember praying, I spent most of the time praying to die or be rescued."

"Miss Bella, you've told me enough. Some of the members of the sect are in custody, what you recounted matches their statements.

You don't have to worry about Marcus, James or Aro anymore either. We have found the body of Marcus Philatanus in a shallow grave about two hundred feet from the sect's building. The medical examiner ruled that his death was caused by being stabbed in the chest. Caius Patterson, or James as you knew him, was found dead on the stage from asphyxiation. His brother Lance Patterson, or Aro Dunnaway, was arrested the day of the siege. He has been in the county jail along with thirty-seven of the other survivors taken into custody from the sect. This morning we were notified that Lance hung himself in his cell overnight. The people that are being held in jail are awaiting trial for their involvement in your kidnapping and various other charges. We were very fortunate that no police or other agents were killed during the siege. Several were wounded, but no fatalities," Office Black states.

Bella feels guilty to be relieved that James, Marcus, and Aro are dead. She knows that it is wrong, but she can't help but feel grateful that those horrible excuses for human beings are gone from the earth. She is saddened by the amount of pain and suffering they caused during their lifetimes. Bella believes that the vilest thing that the men did was to steer so many innocent people away from God. She knows that the members of the sect are not innocent, but they had a chance to do what was right and they fell into temptation.


	27. Chapter 27

_**Two more chapters after this. Enjoy!**_

 _ **S. Meyer owns the characters**_

* * *

Bella quickly recovers, astonishing her doctor at the speed of her healing. She is back in her joyous mood, which infects all those who meet her. She is moved to a regular room to finish her final days of treatment. Her room is constantly filled with visitors. Alice, Emmett, Rosalie, Angela, and Garrett come nearly every day to spend time with her. Some clients of the parlor even come to visit her. Her favorite visitor, other than her dad and Edward is Joshua, the older gentleman who she struck up a friendship with. Joshua comes to visit with her every other day, telling her stories about when he was younger. She loves talking to him and asks if he can come more often.

Day by day, her strength returns, and more tubes and wires are removed. She is particularly excited when she can eat again. Edward picks her up a cheeseburger, fries and chocolate shake from the café near the apartment. The owners of the café are happy to hear of Bella's recovery and insist that the food is of no charge. Edward is still shocked at how everyone loves her as soon as they meet her. How can they not? She is perfect he thinks to himself smiling. When he returns with the food, she eagerly digs in.

"Babe, chew it. It's not going anywhere!" Edward laughs as she takes another large bite while she smiles at him. She eats everything in front of her, surprising the doctors who have warned that she won't be able to eat much.

Edward and Mr. Swan continue to alternate nights with Bella. The men insist on staying with her overnight just in case she has any nightmares. Mr. Swan is overjoyed with being able to spend time with his little girl and get to know her again. They spend many days and nights laughing for hours. He tells her stories of her mother and of when Bella was a little girl. She enjoys reliving the memories with him. Bella especially likes being told the story of how her mother and father met and how the three of them would spend their weekends exploring and camping. She has forgotten so much and is eager to learn it all over.

The time she spends with Edward is her favorite. It is just the two of them picking up where they left off.

"When you get out of here, I'm taking you out on a date," Edward tells Bella as he takes her hand in his. Bella loves the way his large hands completely envelope her small ones.

She beams at him, "So are you asking me on a date, or just telling me?"

"Oh, right. Bella Swan will you do me the honor of going on a date with me?" he asks as he bows down before her. She giggles while attempting to curtsey from her hospital bed.

"Of course, kind sir. I would be honored, but have you properly asked my dad? That's what they do in the movies." Edward chuckles at her response. She has taken up watching classical movies while lying in the bed to pass time.

"What kind of man do you take me for? Of course, I asked, and I received his blessing. So be prepared to be romanced my dear," Edward tells her. She laughs as she pulls him down to hug him.

"Babe, when you get released, where are you going to stay? I mean, are you going back with your dad?"

"I haven't really thought about it. I just assumed I would go back with you. That is, if you want me to. If not, I understand."

"No, I want you to come back with me. I just didn't want to assume," he answers shyly.

"I can't think of anywhere else I would rather be," she tells him truthfully. Edward feels himself fall even more in love with the beautiful creature in front of him.

* * *

Bella is released a week after she woke up. She is almost back to herself, but she tires quickly. She spends her first few days home resting. Mr. Swan returns to his home and promises that he will come and visit often and that she can come home anytime she would like. She tells him she will when she feels stronger.

Edward balances his time between checking on her at home and working in the parlor. He looks better than he has in a long time. He is cheerful again and has gained back the weight he lost. His staff is relieved that he has gone back to bathing every day again. Everyone is happier now that Bella is back. Emmett and the girls come to check on her when Edward can't make it. She grows closer to them as the days go by. Officer Black even comes by to see how Bella is coping. As crabby as he is, the officer falls under Bella's spell and is uncommonly nice while he speaks with her. Edward even thinks that he saw the man grin as he leaves the apartment.

After a few days of rest, Bella decides it's time to go back to the parlor. She misses the clients and wants to start drawing again. Edward doesn't try to persuade her otherwise, he is thrilled with her decision.

The next day Bella surprises everyone when she walks through the door of Blacked Out Ink. Emmett, Rosalie, Angela, and Garrett hurry over to her and take turns embracing the doe eyed girl they love. She admits that she feels more at ease when at the parlor than anywhere else. She likes to be surrounded by her friends and especially Edward. She takes a seat by Edward in his booth and talks to his client for a bit before taking her sketch pad out and drawing. Edward looks over at what she is working on and is in awe.

"Babe, you should do all of my sketchings. We can make a portfolio of them, and people can get a tattoo of them."

"Really? Do you think someone would want something I've drawn on them forever?"

"Absolutely, in fact, I want you to draw something for me to tattoo on myself. I'm serious. Anything you want to see on me for the next sixty years, I'll have tattooed. Emmett can even do it, and that's saying something," he laughs while looking at the surprised red-head.

"Bella, draw something major! You don't know how badly I want to see this guy cringe because of me. This is going to be great! Everyone, you heard Edward, right? He said I could give him a tattoo!" Emmett shouts through the parlor over the amusement of everyone inside.

Bella takes the request to heart. She draws a set of stairs leading up to a slightly opened door. Sunlight is flooding in around the cracks of the door. She pays close attention to the detail and colors of the sketch. She wants to make sure everything is just right. She finishes after a few days.

"Here, I'm done. This is what I want you to have tattooed. I want you to give me a tattoo also, of the same thing. I want it on the back of my left shoulder, so I remember my past and move on from it, just like you. Will you do it for me?" Bella tentatively asks the large man before her. He takes the sketch and looks over it, observing every detail.

"Is this what you saw the day you left? Is this the door you escaped from?" She nods her head at him as tears fill her eyes.

"It's because of that door that I was able to find you. It is important that I don't forget it, it changed my life," she says quietly.

"Babe, it's important to me too. Where do you think I should put it?"

"Well, how about in the middle of your stomach, between the phoenix and the saying?"

"That is perfect. Are you going to stay and watch?"

"Of course, Edward, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," she tells him honestly.

"Great babe, because tonight I'm taking you out on our first official date," Edward proudly tells her. Bella blushes and shyly smiles at the smug man in front of her.

"Alright lover boy, take your shirt off and sit down. Bella, get your blind fold on, don't want to see Edward half naked and ruin your innocence now, do we?" Emmett scoffs, loving that he can give them both such a hard time.

"I'll come back in a few minutes, I need to talk to the girls," Bella announces as she rises from her chair.

"Bye sweetie pie," Emmett calls out.

"Shut up idiot. Nice going, you just basically made fun of her," Edward yells at Emmett and slapping him on the backside of his head.

"Hey now, I did not! She loves me, maybe as much as she loves you. She is pretty much my sister now, she needs to get used to my subtle humor."

"You are such a rear, she totally loves me more," Edward states to the red-head. They both laugh and get set up for Edward's tattoo.

* * *

Bella begins to feel anxious at the thought of her date with Edward. She walks over to Rosalie and Angela to ask for their advice.

"Hey girls. I need your help. Edward and I have our first date tonight. I don't know what to wear or how to act. What do I do? I'm so nervous. What if I mess up and embarrass myself or him? What if . . ."

"Bella, stop!" Angela interrupts. "There is nothing you can do to mess things up with that man. He is head over heels in love with you. If it will make you feel better, we will call Alice and all of us can help you get ready. But seriously, stop worrying!"

Bella nods her head and agrees. She then begins to blush as Angela's words finally register with her.

"Did you say he loves me? I mean, he told me a long time ago, but I guess I thought he might have changed his mind."

"Oh, come on! That man was a hot mess when you were missing. He didn't shower, work, eat, or even acknowledge any of us. He pretty much gave up on living when you weren't around. He still loves you girly, in fact, he probably loves you more now than he did before," Rosalie states as a matter of fact.

The apprehension Bella was feeling leaves immediately as she processes what the girls relay to her. She knows that she feels the same for the intimidating man. She looks over her shoulder at him, laying on his back with Emmett hard at work on his new tattoo. He wanted something that she drew to be on him permanently. Bella takes it as a sign that he wants to have something permanent with her, just as she wants with him.


	28. Chapter 28

_**My incredibly busy summer has started so I will be posting the final chapter sometime this weekend. Please let me know what you think! I am trying to find the time to work on a new story, so be on the lookout.**_

 _ **S. Meyer owns the characters...**_

"Bro, almost done. Just a bit more shading. Do you want any more color or just do it like the picture?" Emmett questions.

"Just like the picture. You know, you are doing a really good job on this. Maybe you should just take over the vacant booth and start building up your own clients, I think you are ready," Edward tells him.

"Dude are you serious? Like really serious? Man, that's awesome, thanks bro! You're not nearly as jerky as

they say you are," Emmett chuckles and punches Edward in the arm. Edward knows this is Emmett's way of thanking him in a manly way without getting emotional.

Bella comes up to the men looking over Emmett's shoulder at his work. She is stunned that he has captured her drawing so perfectly on Edward's taut skin. The shading, the minor details are all there.

"Well babe, how do you think Emmett did?" Edward asks. Bella looks at him and then at the red-head.

"I think he has done perfectly. It's great Emmett, really. I think I may even let you do mine," she replies honestly.

"No way! Over my dead body will anyone else tattoo you but me! I can't believe you would even . . ." Edward rants but stops because of Bella's and Emmett's laughter.

"Edward, you should know better by now! I already said I wanted you to do my tattoo. But your reaction was classic," Bella chuckles as she and Emmett high-five each other. Edward is not as amused by this as they are.

"Clearly Emmett is a bad influence on you. Maybe you shouldn't be around him so much."

"Edward, relax. Emmett is like the brother I never wanted," she jokes.

"Hey, I'm right here you know. Thanks a lot, Bambi," Emmett scoffs.

"Truth hurts, Ginger."

Edward sits back, enjoying the exchange between Emmett and Bella. He still can't believe he is lucky enough to have this woman in his life. She is so open and carefree now. She no longer has the burden of fearing her life is in danger anymore. Edward's thoughts are broken up by Emmett.

"Done man. This is perfection if I do say so myself. Check it out for yourself."

Edward walks over to the mirror hanging on the side of the booth. He inspects the tattoo from different angles, checking the quality of the work. He turns around to Emmett and smiles.

"Nice work. Now get your booth ready and tell Rosalie to start booking you," Edward tells him while giving him a punch on the arm. Emmett nods, hurrying to tell Rosalie.

"That was nice of you. See, being kind isn't so bad, is it?" Bella questions. Edward takes her in his arms and looks down into her wide brown eyes.

"No, it isn't. It just feels weird though, especially being nice to him. We have a love-hate relationship. It's going to ruin our dynamic."

"Well, you better get used to it. I like this side of you, the tough guy who isn't afraid to show his real self. I think its sweet." Edward pouts.

"Sweet? Ugh babe, don't call me that. My reputation was just completely buried with that comment." Bella laughs and hugs him to her tightly. He embraces her back, placing a kiss on the top of her head. Bella pulls back slightly and looks up at him.

"Now it's my turn to inspect your work of art."

Edward takes a step back, watching as the petite woman gazes over his bare upper body. She hesitantly glides her fingertips around the newest addition, not wanting to further irritate the tender area.

She whispers to him, "I love it, thank you for doing this." He peers down to her face and sees the love he feels for her mirrored in her dark eyes. Edward leans down to steal a kiss but is stopped by a shove to the chest and a finger pressed to his lips.

"What was that for?"

"No kisses until you have properly taken me out on a date. Speaking of that, I need to get ready. See you tonight Mr. Cullen," she snickers as she walks away. He stays firmly planted to the floor staring after her retreating figure. Emmett tosses Edward's shirt back to him as he stands beside him.

"Bro you're whipped, but I'm happy for you. She's awesome. I'm glad you found each other," Emmett grins. Edward smirks back at the man and heads to his office, already thinking about his date.

* * *

Bella steps out of the shower and hears knocking on the door. She hesitates as she cautiously walks toward the door.

"Who is it?" she calls out.

"Bella it's Alice, open up." Bella holds the towel tighter around herself as she unlocks the door and the violet-haired woman immediately hugging her.

"Ahh! I'm so excited for your date! I told Rosalie and Angela that it was Bella and Alice time. Let's go pick out your clothes, and I can fix your hair and makeup. We need to go kind of fancy," Alice enthusiastically rambles. Bella laughs and shadows her to the bedroom.

"Wait, why do I need to dress up? You know where he's taking me don't you?"

Alice looks at her broadly smiling. "That I do, and no I'm not telling you. You are going to like it though!"

Alice rummages in the closet through Bella's clothes. She selects a dark blue maxi dress and a light-yellow cardigan.

"We can dress this up with some jewelry, it will be perfect. Where are your shoes?" Bella points to the corner of the room where her shoes are lined up against the wall. Alice walks over to them and picks out a pair of tan sandals. She hands the clothes and shoes to Bella to put on. When Bella steps out, Alice guides her to the bathroom to get started on her hair and makeup.

Alice begins to comb out Bella's chocolate locks while looking at the girl's reflection in the mirror. Bella starts to feel self-conscious under her friend's stare.

"What? What's wrong?" Alice shakes her head and sets back to work.

"Alice," Bella further presses.

"Okay, okay. I'm just really happy you're back. We were so scared when you were gone. Edward was an absolute wreck. I've never seen him like that, not even when his parents died. It was like he lost his will to live. Emmett and I had to force him to eat and bathe. He never stopped looking for you though. He really loves you. I never thought I would ever see him in love and wanting to settle down. I'm just happy and so grateful for you, Bella. You've brought my best friend back to me, and I got a bonus sister too. Promise me you won't break his heart. I don't think he can make it without you," Alice sighs.

Bella looks at Alice in astonishment. She is elated yet frightened. It seems like it's too early to have such strong feelings for someone, but she feels like she can't go on without Edward either.

"I feel the same about him. It scares me to feel like this, it's all new to me. I promise I won't hurt him though," Bella expresses to her softly, her eyes filling with tears.

"Hey, I think that's enough with the heavy stuff. We need to get busy on getting you beautified for your date," Alice laughs as she wipes away unfallen tears from her eyes. Bella agrees and watches contently as Alice begins to work with her hair.

After an hour of primping, Alice declares that Bella is ready. At the same time, they hear Edward come in from downstairs.

"Guys, I need to get ready too," Edward declares.

"Go to your bedroom while I get Bella downstairs. You aren't allowed to see her until your date. You can pick her up down there," Alice orders as she rushes Bella out the door. Bella glances at Edward who has his eyes covered while chuckling.

"Be sure to dress nice, no Led Zeppelin shirts!" Alice barks at him as she closes the door.

The girls wait patiently with Emmett, Rosalie, and Angela in the parlor for Edward. Bella is picking at invisible lint on her dress, nervously glancing at the clock every minute or so. The girls are trying to give her advice about how to act and what may be expected after the date. Bella is desperately trying to find any excuse to leave the conversation. Just when she is about to say something that she may regret, Edward walks in the parlor. He is wearing a dark green button up shirt with black slacks and his boots. He has tried to style his unruly locks. Bella can't pull her eyes away from him. She didn't think it was possible for him to look more handsome, but she is wrong. He walks up to her and pulls out a small bouquet of daisies from behind his back.

"These are for you," he nervously says to her. The group huddled around Bella interrupts with awes. Edward glares at them before he turns his attention back to Bella.

"Thank you, they are beautiful."

"Not nearly as beautiful as you babe. You look gorgeous." Bella blushes at his comment. He then turns and offers his arm to her to escort her out of the parlor.

"Don't stay out all night, have her home at a respectable hour!" Alice calls after them.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Emmett adds. Edward waves them both off as the door closes behind the couple.

"Are you ready to be blown away by a large amount of romance Miss Swan?" Bella giggles and smiles up at the attractive man next to her. He laughs and caresses the hand she has rested on his arm. They walk to his truck, he opens the door for her, then quickly jogs over to his own side and gets in.

They drive for a while before Bella realizes they are leaving town.

"Where are we going?" she tensely questions.

"Don't worry babe, I promise you will like it," he assures her. She sits back and relaxes.


	29. Chapter 29

**_This is the end, sorry no plans for a sequel- but you never know where my crazy mind will go next. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed!_**

The sun is beginning to set in the sky as Edward turns off on to a dirt drive down the deserted road until they reach a dead end. He parks the truck, gets out and opens Bella's door. He then walks to the bed of the truck, pulling out a blanket and a basket. He takes her hand and leads her through a field to a cluster of trees.

Bella feels overwhelmed with nerves when they start walking through the trees. Her grip on Edward tightens with fear as she begins to recall running through trees when she escaped. Edward notices her trembling, quickly turning to face her.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

She tries to play it off, but the tears in her eyes betray her. She reaches up to wipe them away, but he beats her to it. He gently cups her face in his hands, carefully looking at her.

"It's nothing, I'm sorry. Let's go," she tries to change the subject, but Edward doesn't budge.

"Bella, please talk to me. I can't stand it when you are upset. Did I do something?" Bella is surprised by this. How can he possibly think that he has done anything wrong?

"No, not at all. It's silly. I just remembered running through trees like this, almost exactly like this when I was escaping from Marcus," her voice trailing off as she looks down in embarrassment.

He lifts her chin to look him in the face.

"Babe, I'm so sorry. I didn't think about that. I wanted to bring you to my favorite place. I haven't been here in a few years, and I completely forgot about everything that's out here. We can leave, I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"No, I'll be fine. Will you still take me there? I want to see it."

He looks down at her then grabs her hand in his, placing a soft kiss on it, then resumes leading her through the vegetation. When they pass the trees, Bella sees a pristine lake with lily pads floating on the surface that is surrounded by wildflowers. She gasps as she looks all around, soaking up the beauty before her. She looks at Edward and smiles brightly. They continue walking until they reach the lake. Edward releases her hand and spreads the blanket out for them to sit on, then starts to unpack the basket.

"I wanted to do something really special for our first date. I thought you might like it out here. This was the place where my parents and I would come whenever we could. My mom loved the flowers and my dad and I would fish in this lake. We were always the only ones out here, so we thought of it as our own private oasis," he chuckles.

"I can see why. It's so peaceful and beautiful here. I would be happy never leaving this place," she smiles at him. She notices his expression change from joy to seriousness, it worries her. She looks at him questioningly. He scoots closer to her and takes her hands in his.

"Bella, I have to tell you something. I have never said this to anyone else, so I will probably mess it up but promise you will listen to what I'm trying to say. Please," he pleads with her. She feels nervous, not knowing what to expect but agrees. He draws a deep breath and continues.

"Before I met you, I thought I was fine. I was stupid enough to believe that I was happy on my own, that I didn't need any more than I already had. When you came into my life, you knocked me on my rear," he laughs, causing her to smile.

"If someone would have told me that I would be head over heels in love with this short, brunette beauty, I would have laughed in their face or even punched them. I don't know when it happened, but I fell for you. I love you, Bella Swan. I love everything about you. When you weren't with me those horrible weeks, I went out of my mind. I couldn't function properly, it felt as if my heart had been ripped out of my chest," he brings his eyes to hers and smiles. Bella has started trembling again, he holds her hands tighter.

"Babe, you are like the air I breathe. I have to have you around, I need you. Nothing tastes the same without you, nothing has any beauty without you. I love everything about you. The way you blush whenever I give you a compliment, the way you stick your tongue out when you draw, the way your eyes light up when you see me staring at you from across the room. You were wrong when you said that I saved you, you really saved me. I was living a dark life, but you brought me into the light. Everything I look at, I see joy and happiness—because of you. My speech is going all over the place, and it is not at all how I practiced," he chuckles, making her giggle.

"I realize we haven't known each other very long, but I can say with one hundred percent certainty that you are the one for me. I believe God put you in my life for a reason, He knew what was missing even when I didn't. You have opened my eyes and caused me to evaluate my life. I want you in it, forever. I have already talked to your dad and got his blessing so," Edward moves to kneel in front of Bella.

"Bella Marie Swan, will you do me the immense honor of being my wife?" he looks shyly at her, waiting for her response. She sits motionless, stunned by the man before her. Edward quickly begins to feel rejected and drops her hands from his, while looking away from her. He is berating himself when she starts to speak.

"Edward, don't move. I'm sorry, you just surprised me," she sighs and smiles at him. He isn't sure what to think yet, so he stops and waits for her to continue.

"I love you too, and it scares me that I can feel so strongly about you when I haven't known you for that long. I feel safe with you, something I haven't felt with anyone else. I love how you put me first and care so much. You did save me, in more ways than one. I know God brought you to me, and I thank him all the time for you. I love you so much that it hurts. I would like nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you," she says while tears fall from her cheeks. Edward stares at her in disbelief.

"Let me make sure I heard you, you said yes right?"

"Yes, yes, yes, a million times yes! Edward Cullen, I love you and I said yes!" she yells while laughing. He swiftly scoops her up in his arms and passionately kisses her while spinning her off the ground. They both laugh and kiss, shocked that the evening has turned out this way.

"This is just the beginning babe. I know that we will be happy. I will spend my life making you happy. I love you," he tells her again, embracing her small frame to him.

She pulls back slightly and gazes into his face. She sees nothing but peace and happiness across his features. Just looking at him gives her a feeling of joy and love.

"I love you too Edward. You brought me into the light, saved me from the darkness. You are the one, only you. I can't wait to spend my life with you," she softly says against his lips as she rises up and kisses him again. He returns the kiss with equal love and passion. Then he pulls away, smiling broadly as he reaches into his pocket.

"I have to make this official," he says as he pulls out a tiny velvet blue box. He hastily opens it and reveals a diamond solitaire ring on a shiny platinum band. The sun's rays are dancing off the diamond, creating small rainbows of light around them. Bella gasps, placing her hand over her mouth. She looks up at him and smiles, holding out her left hand to him. He delicately places the ring on her fourth finger and gently kisses it. Bella holds her hand away from herself, admiring the simple yet perfect ring on her finger. She tears her gaze away from it, then throws her arms around Edward's neck pulling him down.

"It's the most perfect ring in the world, exactly what I always imagined my engagement ring to look like! When did you get it?"

"When you were missing. I knew you would return to me, I just didn't know when. I prayed for you to come back to me and promised myself that when you did, I would tell you how I felt and hoped that you would feel the same. I couldn't picture my life without you, I knew then that I wanted to marry you. I went out one day and ended up at the jewelry store. I saw this ring and knew it was the one for you, that no one else could ever wear it, it was made for you." Edward states and kisses her hand again. She embraces him while sinking back down to the blanket. They hold each other while enthusiastically talking about the future that they will share.

Nothing can ruin Edward and Bella's happiness. They know it will be hard at times, but they have each other and that is all they need.


End file.
